Courier

Media Credit: Jenny Bartlett Sophomore Max Romero hurls a pitch during Tuesday's victory against Cerritos College. Romero both hit and pitched well during the streak.

In a span of six days the surging men's baseball team has found itself on the top of the South Coast Conference with three victories and a 3-1 record.

Beginning with a 5-3 win over East Los Angeles College on March 4, followed by a 4-2 defeat of Southern California ranked No. 2 El Camino College and ending with a 15-13 triumph over Cerritos College, the Lancers have asserted themselves into first place in the SCC.

The streak can be attributed to stellar play from a variety of Lancers. Hot bats from freshmen Jose Serna and Mike Vasquez, sophomores Jeff Stirling, Brian Smith, Enrique Reynoso and Mike Flynn all have played a part.

The Lancers have also cashed in on phenomenal pitching contributions during the streak. Sophomore Cameron Copping hurled a seven inning shutout in the El Camino knockoff and sophomore John Paul Salazar recorded two saves on both the second and third victories.

Sophomore Max Romero has managed to help out on both the mound and at the plate during the string of wins. He recorded two pitching victories on two starts against ELAC and Cerrtios. Romero was also 8-10, with six RBIs and five runs throughout the stretch.

"Max is doing great job overall, both in hitting and pitching. He has had an outstanding past three games," said Head Coach Evan O'Meara.

In the ELAC game at the CSULA baseball field, Romero's pitching and an aggressive third inning at the plate was all the Lancers needed to secure a win.

Freshman outfielder Vincent Pantaleo opened up the inning with a single to right centerfield. First baseman Enrique Reynoso advanced Pantaleo to third, putting the Lancers in scoring position. A hit by Serna scored second baseman Alex Acevedo, which gave the Lancers a 1-0 lead over the Huskies.

The Lancers ended the inning with two more runs by Pantaleo and Serna, extending the lead to 3-0.

It was O'Meara's first win against the Huskies since he became head coach.

"I knew, no matter what, this would be a good game," said O'Meara. "It's a personal vendetta."

Continued...

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