COD Baseball sinks the Vikings, 5-4

COD (4-15; 1-2) grabbed a big inning in the fourth and would receive some solid pitching as the Roadrunners would hold on and defeat the Barstow Vikings (5-11-1; 0-1), 5-4.

Desert would open up the scoring, plating a run in the second, to take a 1-0 lead, they would add three more runs in the fourth, to take a 4-0 lead. With sophomore right handed starting pitcher Brian Glenn (Palm Desert H.S.) dealing and a defense behind him to match, the Vikings had no hope. Then in the top of the sixth, Barstow would get onto the scoreboard, with two runs of their own, halving the score, 4-2.

The Vikings would get even closer in the eighth with another run, making the score 4-3. Desert would get that run back in the bottom half of the eighth, which proved to be crucial to securing the win, as Barstow would add another run in the top of the ninth, with two outs, before freshman right handed relief pitcher Taishin Matsushita (Kofu (JPN) Kofu Senior H.S.) collected the final out for his first save of 2020.

Sophomore catcher Trey Ladner (La Quinta H.S.) had a good day at the plate, both at it and behind it, calling the pitches and going 3 for 4 out of the eight hole in the lineup, with two runs batted in and a huge triple in the eighth inning, which scored freshman pinch runner Jamieson Gateb (Palm Desert H.S.), proving to be the winning run.

Sophomore second baseman Christopher Burke (Temecula Valley), batting out of the three hole, went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI's and freshman left fielder Clayton Smith (Yucca Valley H.S.) went 2 for 4 with a run scored out of the five hole in the lineup.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information & Story provided by COD Sports Information. Photo by Michael Leone Photography (f8leone@yahoo.com).