Cougars Pounce on Rio Hondo for 19-2 Victory

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons found the win column for the second time in as many days, as the Cougars pounded out 19 runs on 20 hits to trounce visiting Rio Hondo College 19-2 at Cougar Field on Friday. 

Canyons (2-4) had seven members of its lineup record multi-hit games, while freshman Luke Chung led the way with a 5-for-6 line that included three doubles, three runs and a pair of RBIs.

Tyler Erne was 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, Max Mehlbaum finished 2-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs and two runs, and Tyler Grodell went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, a run and five RBIs.

COC plated a run in the first and added two more in the third to take an early 3-0 lead.

Rio Hondo (3-2) kept things close with a pair of runs in the fourth inning, before the Cougars answered right back to make it 4-2 after four. 

The bulk of the damage, however, came in the fifth as Canyons put together a seven-hit rally that resulted in eight runs to break the game wide open at 12-2.

COC then added six more runs in the sixth, and a lone run in the seventh to push the score to 19-2.

After the Roadrunners batted in the eighth inning the contest was called due to a mercy rule.

The Cougars' offense came the old fashioned way. COC did not hit a single home run in the contest, instead relying on a combination of eight doubles, 12 singles and nine walks to jump all over Rio Hondo. 

COC starter Ayden Alger (1-1) earned the win. The freshman lefty tossed five innings, allowing two earned runs, two walks and striking out five.

Nik White, Cooper Everett and Matt Serrano each pitched an inning of scoreless relief for the Cougars.

Rio Hondo starter Nick Juarez (3-2) took the loss after his four innings of work which included four earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts. The Roadrunner bullpen allowed 15 runs, with three of the five pitchers who were summoned to the mound unable to record a single out.

Canyons is scheduled to play Sad Diego Mesa College at 10 a.m. on Saturday, however that game maty be postponed and/or rescheduled vs. a different opponent due to impending inclement weather.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

—Photo by Jacob Velarde/COC Sports Information