Bakersfield College Baseball (1-2) certainly had a chance to work the kinks out over the three days of a tournament that has featured some unique baseball games, and today's 10-8 win over Moorpark (0-3).
Starter Austin Toerner allowed the the first ten batters he faced to reach base and eight of those baserunners scored. But after that rough first inning he settled down to business and struck out the first batter he faced in the second inning, and retired the next eight batters in order before Coach Tim Painton brougth Monty Stevens in to take over in the top of the fifth inning.
Stevens (1-0) picked up where Toerner left off, striking out the first two batters he faced on his way to retiring 15 of the 16 batters he faced over five innings of no-hit baseball. The only baserunner Stevens allowed reached by walk with two outs in the eighth inning.
Meanwhile, BC's bats got to work.
With the score 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Harry Tyler got on board with a one out infield single, and scored in the next at-bat when Konner Dodge smashed a double to right center. The Raiders made a pitching change, but Caleb Hewes jumped all over a Emery Johnson offering and tripled to deep right to score Dodge and BC took advantage of the momentum and didn't let up until they batted through the lineup and tied the game up 8-8.
Luke Lewis got hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, and advanced to third when a Brock Hallum grounder was misplayed at second base putting runners at the corners with no outs. Kyle Willman walked to load the bases, and following a Tyson Brewer foul-out to the catcher, Patrickc Reynier singled to left field to score Lewis and give BC it's first lead of the game. Harry Tyler later hit a sacrifice fly that scored Hallum, and proved to be the final run in a wild 10-8 Renegade victory.
While BC showed some rust, it was to be expected. On a recent appearance on "The Renegade Report", Coach Painton said that wet weather had been hard on the field and he felt his team was a tad bit behind schedule for where he wanted them to be entering the season.
But Stevens looked even sharper than the anchor of last year's Super Regional qualifying team pitching rotation who notched an 8-0 record, and Toerner was dominant once he shook off the rust in the first inning.
BC will play next against Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday, January 31st, at 1pm.
Their next home game at Collis Field isn't until Thursday, February 9th at 6pm when they open a three game stand against El Camino College.