No. 3 Canyons Holds On For 8-7 Win vs. No. 4 Glendale

The College of the Canyons baseball team withstood a late five-run rally to hold off Glendale College 8-7 on Thursday, to snap its three-game losing streak. 

The Cougars relied on a big third inning where they crushed three home runs to go up 8-0. Glendale rallied in the fifth and eighth innings but was kept at bay by reliever Sean Ward who earned his first save of the season pitching 1 2/3 innings to secure the win for COC.

Jake Spurlin led scoring in the second inning when he hit a two-run home run that drove in Anthony Lepre and put the Cougars up 2-0 after the second inning. 

In the third inning, Darren Kriz homered to score Colton Burns to put COC up 4-0. Later in the inning, Roy Verdejo hit a solo home run – his fifth of the season – to put Canyons up 5-0. Finally, Chris McCready launched a three-run home run to give the Cougars an 8-0 lead after three innings.

McCready went 4-for-4 on the day along with a run scored and three RBI. 

Kriz added two RBI to raise his season total to 20.

Verdejo's solo homer lifted his season RBI total to 29 which is good for third on the team. He is also batting .345 to rank sixth on the squad.

COC starting pitcher Chase Wheatcroft earned his sixth win on the season after going 6 and 2/3 innings and allowing five hits, two walks and two unearned runs.

In the top of the eighth inning, Glendale's comeback attempt was ended when JD Krauskaupf threw out Chris Colarossi trying to advance to third base for the third out of the inning.

The win improved COC's overall record to 26-7 and to 13-5 in Western State Conference 

The Cougars will next travel to Glendale on Saturday, for the rubber match of a three game series with the Vaqueros. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.