PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Sophomore right-hander Jumpei Akanuma (Japan/Ritsumeikan) struck out nine batters in leading College of the Desert baseball (13-18, 11-10) to a 7-2 win over visiting Victor Valley (1-31, 0-21) in Saturday afternoon's Foothill Conference matchup in Palm Desert.

Head coach John Welker's Roadrunners took a 2-0 lead in the game's first inning when a dropped fly ball plated freshman Travis Tanaka (Honolulu, HI/St. Louis HS) and sophomore Tanner Olthoff (Oceanside, CA/El Camino HS).  

COD would go on to score three more runs in the fifth inning via a trio of RBI singles.  Sophomore DJ Hernandez (La Quinta, CA/La Quinta HS) scored sophomore Sean Romo (Honolulu, HI/Kalani HS) with his single to center, while sophomore Cole Danielson's (Cathedral City, CA/Cathedral City HS) base hit sent Tanner Olthoff in to score.  Sophomore Luc Powers-Hubbard (Bonney Lake, WA/Sumner HS) stepped in next, driving home DJ Hernandez with his single to left field.   

Jumpei Akanuma (3-5) was stellar on the mound for the Roadrunners, allowing just two runs on seven hits through seven innings of duty.  He struck out nine batters, while walking just one.  

Tanner Olthoff and Cole Danielson each recorded two hits for COD, while freshmen Jason Nall (Los Angeles, CA/St. Bernard HS) and Louie Castellanos (Cathedral City, CA/Cathedral City HS) collected one hit and one RBI apiece.

College of the Desert baseball gets a well-deserved bye from conference action this week, then returns to the diamond next Tuesday, April 26 for a 2:30 p.m. Foothill Conference game at Rio Hondo.