Giants sweep Taft, add to CVC baseball lead
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
Payton Allen went a combined 6 for 8 with a home run, three runs and two RBI to help power College of the Sequoias' baseball team to a Central Valley Conference doubleheader sweep of Taft on May 1.
Allen had three of the Giants' 14 hits during a 13-1 win in seven innings during the first game.
He was 3 for 4 with a solo homer during Sequoias' 17-hit barrage en route to a 10-0 win in the second game.
The Giants (9-3 overall, 9-3 CVC) lead the conference title chase by 1 1/2 games over Reedley (9-5, 6-4). Fresno (6-6, 6-5) sits third in the conference standings, followed by Merced (6-6, 5-6) and Taft (1-12, 1-9).
Sequoias scored all the runs it would need in the first game during the first inning as T.J. Martinez (Tulare Western) and Flavio Perez Jr. (Hanford) had run-scoring doubles and Nate Gilson (El Diamante) had a run-scoring triple for a 3-1 lead.
Donte Valdez (Redwood) had a two-run homer in a three-run second inning, Michael McKernan (Mt. Whitney) had a run-scoring double to highlight a three-run third, and Vincent Estrada (Corcoran) and Allen delivered run-scoring singles during a four-run fourth for the Giants.
That was more than enough support for starter Tyce Ochs (Golden West), who earned the win after allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out five.
Austin Fleck (Central-Fresno) and Spencer Rogers (Highland-Bakersfield) each pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game.
In the second game, Cristian Garcia (Hanford), Riley Creech (El Diamante), Zachariah McCorvey (El Diamante), Chance Watson (El Diamante) and James Freisen (Immanuel-Reedley) combined on a seven-hit shutout.
Garcia started and worked two innings. Creech followed with two innings, McCorvey pitched three innings while earning the win, and Watson and Freisen pitched one inning each.
Allen hit a solo homer in the third, and Andrew Valdez (El Diamante) had a run-scoring single in the fifth as Sequoias opened a 5-0 lead.
Andrew Valdez added a solo homer in the eighth and an RBI double in the nine to help the Giants close out the sweep.
Sequoias plays four games this week, starting with a game at Reedley on May 4. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Giants will host Reedley at 2 p.m. May 5, and host Merced for a doubleheader on May 7, with games set for noon and 3 p.m.
