Early Lead Slips Away as COS Baseball Drops Road Game at Fresno
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 5 | 7 | 1 |
FRESNO, Calif. – College of the Sequoias struck first Tuesday afternoon at Fresno City College, but the Rams used a three-run fifth inning and added insurance late to hand the Giants a 5-1 conference loss.
College of the Sequoias (5-9, 2-2) grabbed an early lead in the top of the first. Aiden Medina (Hoover HS) reached and later came home on a sacrifice fly by Adan Flores (Central East HS), giving the Giants a 1-0 advantage.
COS starter Hudson Groh (Liberty-Madera HS) kept Fresno City off the board through the first four innings, working efficiently and navigating traffic on the bases. The Rams broke through in the fifth, using a hit-by-pitch, a wild pitch and an RBI single to take a 3-1 lead.
Groh was solid in the start, going 6.1 innings while allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) with two strikeouts. He worked around three hit batters and limited hard contact for much of the afternoon.
The Giants had opportunities but were unable to string together offense against Fresno City starter, who tossed eight strong innings. Sequoias finished with four hits on the day, one each from Medina, Hayden Elchlepp (Stockdale HS), Joshua Barajas (Central East HS) and Jaxon Griffiths (Redwood HS).
Fresno City added two more runs in the eighth on an RBI double and an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1. Zachery Tackett (Kingsburg HS), Carson Hindmarsh (Saskatoon, SK) and Jordan Ver Steeg (Mt. Whitney HS) combined to finish the game on the mound for the Giants.
Despite the loss, COS turned multiple double plays and limited Fresno City to seven hits overall.
"We competed on the mound and defensively for most of the game," Head Coach Scott Laird said. "We just need to do a better job capitalizing on opportunities offensively. It's conference play — every inning matters — and we'll be ready to respond in the next one."
College of the Sequoias will look to bounce back as the conference series against Fresno City will continue on Thursday, Feburary 26 at home at 2:00 PM.
