Not Even 7-Run First Can Slow Down Pierce : Baseball: Brahmas spot Canyons big lead before rallying for 12-9 victory to maintain WSC lead.

When is seven runs in the first inning not enough to win?

The College of the Canyons Cougars know the answer.

Canyons couldn’t hold that kind of a lead Tuesday and Pierce rallied for a 12-9 victory in a Western State Conference South Division game at Pierce.

Pierce (23-16, 18-6 in conference play) needs victories against Glendale on Thursday and Mission on Saturday to win the division title outright.

The Brahmas lead Bakersfield by one game. A first-place tie with the Renegades, however, would give Pierce the championship for playoff seeding purposes because the Brahmas won the season series between the teams, 3-1.

The Brahmas bounced back just in time against Canyons (18-25, 13-11) to maintain their slight advantage in the standings.

“They had more at stake than us,” said Len Mohney, Canyons coach. “We sort of stopped playing aggressively. You can’t give a good team chances like that.”

Canyons pounded Pierce right-hander Jason Warren for seven runs on seven hits and a walk in the first inning.

The Cougars sent 13 batters to the plate in the half-inning, which lasted 30 minutes. Leadoff batter Shane Petrelli (three for four) had two doubles in the inning.

But Pierce chipped away at the lead and pulled even, 9-9, with three runs in the seventh.

With one out, Jeff Astgen singled to drive in Carlos Nunez with the first run of the inning.

Third baseman Brian Shaw booted Jeff Shapiro’s grounder to score Cesar Martinez from second base and send Astgen to third.

The Brahmas then pulled a double steal. Astgen scored when catcher Jim Traylor threw to second base and the return throw from shortstop Petrelli was late.

Pierce manufactured three more in the eighth against Cougar closer Brad Coukos (2-4) with the aid of two errors.

Dave Cipolla led off with a walk but Coukos retired the next two batters. The right-hander, however, plunked Nunez with a pitch.

Pierce tried another double steal and Cipolla scored when Traylor’s throw to third sailed into left field, with Nunez taking third.

Martinez followed with a single that knocked in Nunez. Martinez scored all the way from first when Shaw threw Astgen’s bunt past first baseman Mike Oliver.

Right-hander John Loveless (3-0) pitched to two batters in the eighth and picked up the victory. Gary Stephenson started for Canyons and allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Martinez and Mike Glendenning each had three hits for Pierce.