Cougars Complete Sweep 9-6 at Bakersfield

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

BAKERSFIELD — College of the Canyons picked up a 9-6 road win at Bakersfield College on Monday, completing the series sweep in a game that had been postponed twice due to weather.

Canyons (10-7, 3-0) has won three straight to begin Western State Conference (WSC), South Division play after dropping its final three non-conference games. The Cougars scored 30 runs in the series vs. the Renegades (6-14, 0-3) winning 4-3 on Tuesday and 17-5 in game two. Bakersfield has lost its last nine games.

The Cougars jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage headed into the home half of third before BC made its move. 

Andrew Allanson collected his first hit in a 4-for-4 day with an RBI single in the first that scored Jovan Camacho for the first run of the game. In that same inning it was Jake Schwartz with a sac-fly that brought in another run at 2-0.

Camacho was back at in in the third, this time scoring on a wild pitch to give COC a 3-0 lead.

Bakersfield got two of those runs back with a two-run single off the bat of Luis Fuentes in the third. In the next inning it was Joseph Allatore leveling the game with an RBI single. Andrew Townson put the Renegades ahead at 5-3 with another RBI base hit, good for Bakersfield's only lead of the game. 

That's where things stayed until the Cougs got it going again in the seventh when Schwartz' single scored Charlie Rocca to get Canyons within a run before Colin Yeaman tied the game with another RBI base hit.

From there the rally was on with Dane Flashberg bringing in another run on a sac-fly, Ryan Camacho singling in a run, and Jovan Camacho following suit to provide COC with a late 8-5 lead. 

Bakersfield added a run in the seventh but Andy Ambriz got it right back in the top of the eighth, putting his mark on the Cougars' 9-6 victory.

Luke Lemmond (1-0) got the win for Canyons after a two-inning outing that included a run on three hits, a walk and a strikeout. He worked the sixth and seventh innings before giving way to Malakai Correll for a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts. Schwartz then moved to the mound for a 1-2-3 ninth inning and his second save of the season. 

COC starter Gavino Rosales went the first four innings but was hit for five runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out five Bakersfield batters along the way. Xavier Stoker was the first man out of the Cougar bullpen with a walk and a strikeout in his lone inning of work. 

Brock Slikker (0-2) took the loss for Bakersfield. Slikker was one of three relivers called upon in support of BC starter Kyle Langston who tossed the first six. Langston was charged with three runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Top Performers

• Andrew Allanson – 4-for-4, BB, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB
• Jovan Camacho – 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI
• Luke Lemmond – W (1-0), 2 IP, 3 H, BB, R, K
• Charlie Rocca – 2-for-5, BB, 2 R
• Jake Schwartz – 1-for-4, sac-fly, R, 2 RBI / IP, S (2)

Upcoming Schedule

The Cougars are scheduled to begin a three-game series with L.A. Valley College on Tuesday but could see those games postponed and/or rescheduled due to expected rain in the forecast.

Under the current plan COC would host LAVC (11-8, 3-0) at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday before seeing the series shift to Valley Glen on Thursday for another 2:30 p.m. first pitch. The finale would take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 18.

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.