The Renegades’ starting pitcher, Ryan Huston, had an impressive performance against Moorpark College with nine strikeouts, three walks and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings as Huston threw over one hundred pitches at Sam Lynn Ball Park Feb. 15 to win BC’s 1st game at their temporary home site.
Bakersfield College (2-7-1) defeated Moorpark 11-9, to receive their second win of the season on the last of the four-day BC Light Brigade baseball tournament.
BC lost the other three games in the tournament with wet conditions and multiple errors for all teams in the tournament.
BC head coach Tim Painton handed the ball to Huston as starting pitcher on account of his first appearance at Sam Lynn in a relief role. “He earned it with that outing. We gave him that opportunity today, and he did a good job. He’s a guy that’s very dependable, somebody who’s going to throw strikes.”
Painton said about Huston’s role in the future, “I don’t know how we’ll use him, we’ll use him in a variety of roles, probably during the course of the season, but he’s a guy that did throw strikes and gets outs, and that’s the name of the game.”
BC’s Joey Walker went 2-for-5, with a two-run home run over the centerfield wall and was walked once. BC teammate Travis Morgan also had a solo home run in centerfield. Morgan went 2-for-6, with a single and a walk.
The bottom of the BC line-up gave Moorpark trouble as most of it contributed to the Renegades’ 11 hits in the game.
Painton was pleased with the offense but not satisfied with the pitching after Huston. “I felt offensively we put some things together today. We had five innings. We had multiple innings on the board, and, for us, that’s a major step offensively. So we were happy with that.
“We didn’t do a very good job out of the bullpen [with other pitchers], but we walk away with a win. We’d rather win ugly than play well and lose.”
Painton is not sure what his team’s strongest point is yet. Painton said, “I think our team identity is still being developed.” Painton stressed that the team has freshmen who performed well over the weekend and hopes that they continue to do so.
The game came down to the wire as BC’s Greg Sanders struck out Moorpark’s Harrison Kain with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for BC.
BC lost to San Diego Mesa 4-3 on Feb. 14. San Diego Mesa broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the game at Sam Lynn.
The Renegades committed five errors and BC’s Jarrod Martin hit a double to tie the game in the sixth inning, but that was the last BC score of the night.
The muddy and soaked field at Sam Lynn caused an hour rain delay, and BC managed only to get within one run in the fifth inning of the Renegades Feb. 13 loss against Modesto, 16-10.
BC’s offense stepped up in the bottom of the fifth inning to score four runs, on four hits, with two errors and a wild pitch by Modesto to make the game 8-7 in favor of Modesto.
BC second baseman Greg Osteen went 4-for-5 with three singles, a double and two RBIs.
Painton said about the errors committed in the rainy game, “We misplayed balls in the outfield that were multiple base errors and that resulted with runners on base, which led to a lot of runs, but when the field’s in this condition, it’s tough to move around very well, and you’re throwing a wet baseball.”
Painton summed the tournament up, “It’s just tournament baseball. That’s all I can say.”
BC lost to Merced at Sam Lynn Feb. 12 in BC’s second tournament opener, 6-3.
The Renegades only runs came late in the game, after Merced’s Bradin Hagens pitched eight scoreless innings, with 11 strikeouts.
Hagens only gave up five hits with two walks and threw a reportedly 90-92 mph.
Painton talked about BC’s performance against Merced, “The kid we faced tonight is very, very good. There’s no doubt about that, but you would like to think you have some guys on this side of the field that are pretty good, too, and we haven’t proven that yet.”
Painton added about the team’s difficult opening games, “We’ve struggled offensively for three weeks now, so when that happens, they feel the pressure of every at-bat as well.
“We’ve just got to swing out of it. We’ll be fine once we get aggressive at the plate.”
BC had won its first season win against Cerro Coso Feb. 10 in a makeup game at Taft in game put together the day before.
BC’s woes continued against Fresno City College. BC lost 5-2 at Fresno, and the Renegades only runs came from Imaad Nuridin and Greg Fowler.
BC pitcher Marcos Reyna pitched eight innings with 11 strikeouts but that was not enough as Fresno City came back in the eighth inning down 2-1 to beat the Renegades.
The Renegades’ Feb. 17 game against Cuesta has been cancelled due to rain and conflicting schedules.
BC is scheduled to play at L.A. Mission Feb. 19 and Feb. 21 to begin league play.