Giant roll to 5-0 start; host 4 games this week

College of the Sequoias baseball team will be looking to extend its fast start when it hosts Bakersfield (2-3) at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 in a non-conference game.

The Giants improved to 5-0 after completing a three-game sweep of Marin (1-5) over the weekend.

COS downed the Mariners 9-3 on Jan. 31 behind Isaac Gonzalez (Redwood), who went 4 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Payton Allen (Golden West) singled, doubled and knocked in three runs for the Giants.

COS' 13-hit attack also featured a two-run double by Flavio Perez Jr. (Hanford) and a pair of singles by Maverick Souza (El Diamante).

Cade Sakamoto (Highland-Bakersfield) won his second start of opening week, allowing two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings while striking out three. Anthony Torres (Exeter), Chace Watson (El Diamante) and Jordan Hammer (Fowler) combined to pitch the final 3 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

A four-run second inning that featured run-scoring singles from Davis Beavers (Redwood), Gonzalez and Allen, and an RBI groundout by Souza provided all the runs the Giants would need during their 11-1 defeat of Marin on Feb. 1.

Elijah Munoz (Redwood) had a two-run double and Gonzalez added a two-run single in the third as COS made it a rout early.

Nikolas Gardea (Kennedy-Delano) and Jaylen Rodriguez (Redwood) combined to shut down the Mariners. Gardea gave up an unearned run on two hits over four innings, while Rodriguez gave up one hit over four scoreless innings. Fabian Luna (El Diamante) and Christian Garcia (Hanford) pitched a scoreless ninth to cap an opening-week performance that saw the Giants bullpen two earned runs over 21 2/3 innings.

COS has another busy week on tap, following its Feb. 4 against Bakersfield with home games against Mission (1-3) at 2 p.m. Feb. 6, against Golden West (2-4) at 1 p.m. Feb. 7 and again against Mission at noon Feb. 8.