The Trojans got conquered at home Tuesday, Mar. 12, by intra-district rival, College of San Mateo Bulldogs, 12-2.
The Trojans came into the game on back-to-back shutout losses to Monterrey and Canada, hoping to turn it around on their last home game before playing their next two games away.
The Trojans came out of the gate firing. After getting through the top of the first with 0-1 deficit, they took the lead on their turn at bat. Lead-off Robin Lausen walked. After a bunt popup by second baseman, AJ Santiago, center fielder Cory Faubel singled off the Bulldogs’ Andrew Herrera, followed by another single by third baseman Javier Carrillo that brought Lausen home to tie it up. Catcher, Lucci Molina would then double on the next at-bat, which allowed Faubel to score and take the lead. But everything goes downhill afterward.
After a hit-by-pitch to first baseman Lance Montano to load the bases, left fielder, Vince Lozano made it to first on the fielder’s choice after Carrillo was thrown out at home. Shortstop Ismael Orozco strikes out to end the inning. The Trojans scored their only runs in the first.
After a one-two-three inning by both pitchers in the second, Skyline starting pitcher Nick Paton ran into trouble in the third. After a lead-off double by the Bulldogs’ third baseman Jeff VonMoser, the Bulldogs would score on back-to-back bunt singles.
The fourth frame wouldn’t be any easier for Paton. After giving up a lead-off double, the next batter was called safe on close call at first after a bunt. The Bulldogs went on a stealing spree in the fourth, once even doing a double steal of second and third. After a questionable call in which he hit a batter, Paton was pulled from the game, going four and a third.
The bulldogs would go on to score six more times in the sixth, upping their lead to the would-be final score of 12-2. O9
Head coach Dino Nomicos was not happy with his team’s performance. “Not good. We gave up a lot of runs. (We) did not do a good job pitching today. We fell behind,” said Nomicos.
On his starting pitcher, he said: “He just fell behind, 2-0, 3-1, 3-0. At this level, you’re going to get hit.”
Pitching coach Tony Brunicardi concurred: “He never found his rhythm.”
On the team’s pitching performance, Brunicardi said: “Not very good as a whole. We couldn’t get ahead.”
Starting pitcher Nick Paton wasn’t impressed with his performance either. “I started off not bad,” said Paton. “I couldn’t get comfortable. I tried to find it… I couldn’t get a foot on the ground.”
Paton was very optimistic coming into this game, hoping to find the same feeling he had in his last start. “Prior to this, I threw a complete game versus Cabrillo. I had high expectations to get at least to the seventh, keep the game close, said Paton. “I couldn’t control the game. It didn’t feel right.”
