COD (2-7) finished its fastest game of the season in a little more than two hours, as the Roadrunners avenged an earlier loss by knocking off the Barstow Vikings (3-5), 3-1.

Desert would get a fantastic performance from freshman right handed starting pitcher Jacob Curiel (Moreno Valley H.S.) who surrendered a run on four hits, spread out over seven complete innings, striking out three and walking three for his first win of 2019.

After the game Curiel commented, "It was a great team win honestly, you know my defense was behind me, catcher did a great job, coaches did a great job calling pitches, and honestly it was just a good team win, couldn't do it without my team and my defense behind me." Later stating, tonight was "definitely a good win, good comeback win, mentally today we came ready to play this game and get some revenge on 'em."

Barstow would take the early lead in the top of the third, reaching on an error by the Roadrunners first baseman and giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead.

Desert would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth when a leadoff double to left by freshman designated hitter Mario Ramirez (Rancho Mirage H.S.) would eventually bring Ramirez home on a single to left by sophomore catcher Matthew Fisher (Redlands H.S.), tying the game at 1-1.

The Roadrunners would untie the game in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore first baseman Jonathan Mejia (Palm Desert H.S.) led off the inning with a shot to right field, which was terribly misplayed by the Barstow right fielder, which led to a three base error. Mejia would walk home on a deep sacrifice fly to right by Ramirez, giving Desert the 2-1 lead.

Ramirez later stating, "I mean, it was a pretty close game, when I went up to hit, I thought about getting something up on the plate to grab it and that's what I did, I just looked for my pitch, looked for the right pitch and I just drive it into the gap." Commenting about his sacrifice fly at bat in the sixth inning, Ramirez said, "I was looking for something up obviously, and I was just trying to drive middle, middle out, to bring the run in."

Desert would add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as freshman short stop Ryan Rodriguez (Rancho Mirage H.S.) scampered home on a single to left by Mejia.

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