By Sonny Tapia
East Los Angeles College baseball lost to Pasadena City College at home on Thursday, 9-7.
The Huskies went back-and-forth with PCC and allowed over four lead changes.
During the game, both benches nearly cleared when Pasadena freshman third baseman Marco Martinez came sliding into home and began arguing with ELAC players.
This heightened moment was quickly dispersed by the home plate umpire.
Throughout the game the home plate umpire caused some issues for both sides when he made some questionable calls with strikes and balls.
ELAC head coach James Hines argued an at bat when PCC sophomore catcher Cole Pilar leaned into a pitch.
“He can’t tuck it like that,” Hines said. He then walked back to his bench without a warning from the umpire.
Pasadena recorded the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly ball by freshman first baseman Vic Zepeda that scored sophomore left fielder Edward Manzo who walked in his at bat.
ELAC took the lead in the bottom of the second inning.
Husky freshman first baseman Aj Gama started the scoring run with a base hit.
He advanced to second base off of a sacrifice bunt laid down by freshman designated hitter Robert Banuelos.
Sophomore right fielder Ruben Hernandez got a run batted in with a single to shallow outfield.
His hit was immediately followed by sophomore third baseman Andy Rodriguez, who recorded two more runs before the end of the inning.
The lead was quickly erased when ELAC sophomore starting pitcher Luis Ramos made some mistakes with a walk and two batters hit-by-pitch.
He allowed three hits in the top half of the third inning that allowed PCC to tie the game up.
The Huskies had bases loaded in its next at bat due to discipline at the plate by sophomore catcher Gabriel Jimenez and Gama.
They both walked in their at bats. Banuelos bunted for the second time and was called safe at first to fill the bases.
Freshman shortstop Brandon Hernandez singled to left field and the runner from third scored to give the Huskies a one run lead.
Gama recorded two more RBIs later in the game that caused PCC head coach Pat McGee to lose his temper.
“What are we doing? We are not playing as a team. We need to make plays on defense,” McGee said.
During his outburst he then got in the face of his first baseman Vic Zepeda.
The team separated the two and continued with the game.
A pitching change came in the top of the fifth inning when Hines replaced Ramos with freshman pitcher Francisco Avena.
PCC was able to get within one run during the top of the fifth inning without recording a hit.
They had three straight walks and a sacrifice fly ball to the outfield.
The Huskies pitching allowed Pasadena to record four runs in eight at bats.
Freshman center fielder Gabriel Arellano started it off with a base hit to right field, followed by two consecutive hit batters.
Marco Martinez hit an RBI single down the third-base-line followed by another single from Zepeda.
ELAC made another pitching change replacing Avena with freshman pitcher Michael Mendoza.
He ended the sixth inning with a groundout. PCC took a two-run lead over the Huskies and kept the lead secure.
ELAC failed to produce any offense in the rest of the game.
After the final lead change, they recorded zero hits to finish the game on a low note.
The Huskies next game will be away against Rio Hondo College at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.