Monty Stevens didn't need much run support against Antelope Valley on Thursday. Regardless, the Bakersfield College offense provided the freshman starting pitcher from Frontier High with six early runs.
Stevens went seven strong innings and a pair of relievers hurled one scoreless frame each as the Renegades downed the Marauders 6-1 in Western State Conference-South action at Gerry Collis Field.
BC scored three runs in the first and third innings and cruised to its third straight victory.
Stevens allowed Antelope Valley's lone run. The 6-foot-3 right-hander scattered six hits and four walks in improving to (6-0) on the season.
"Monty didn't really have his best stuff today but the thing that he's does is he competes every time out," BC coach Tim Painton said. "If he worked himself into a jam he always found a way to work himself out."
Hanz Harker and Harrison Smith both went 2 for 3 with one RBI and Tyson Brewer went 2 for 4 with a pair of runs knocked in for the Renegades, who trailed 1-0 after the first half-inning.
BC quickly overcame that deficit its first turn at bat with Harker drilling a hard ground ball up the middle that scored Brooks Douglass from second base.
Moments later the Renegades moved in front 2-1 when Harker scored on a wild pitch by AVC starting pitcher Shawn Hunt.
Brewer capped off the three-run rally with a RBI single to left field.
Harker, Smith, and Brewer all played a big role in the Renegades three-run third inning. Each member of the trio smacked a RBI double during the inning.
"The two three-run innings we were able to string some hits together, which we haven't done in every ballgame," Painton said.
Stevens faced just two batters over the minimum from the second through sixth innings. He was helped by a couple of outstanding defensive plays behind him including one in the fourth inning by Caleb Hewes' in which the BC shortstop dove to glove a ball deep in the hole and then jumped up and fired a strike to first base just in time to get the out.
Cain Robert and Omar Gamboa each pitched one scoreless inning of relief for the Renegades.
"Both of those guys are coming off of injuries and they both stepped back into the game and did a good job," Painton said.
Hunt dropped to (2-6) with the loss. The left-hander allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks.