Panthers Storm Out Swinging to Start New Season
The Hartnell Baseball team couldn't wait to get their 2020 season going. On Opening Day the Panthers hosted City College of San Francisco and got their first win of the year by the score of 12-6.
The Panthers came out swinging. After CCSF scored first in the second inning, the Panthers asnwered with two runs in the third inning as sophomore OF Travis Madison doubled down the left field line driving in freshman's Michael Vivo and Carlos Drain. CCSF pushed a run across in the top half of fourth inning, but the Panthers answered again, this time putting up seven runs to gain a comfortable lead. Chris Wright singled to start it off. Amier Bowen followed with a double scoring Wright. Nikko Crivello followed that with his first collegiate home run to left field, which scored Bowen. After Isaiah Bueno singled and got forced out at 2nd base by a Diego Fisher fielders choice, Carlos Drain joined the club of first timers as he launched one over the left field wall for his first collegiate homerun scoring Fisher. Madison continued the inning by homering himself on the next pitch pushing the lead to 8-2. TJ L'Hommedieu doubled and moved up on a passed ball scoring on the bad throw to 3rd base making the score 9-2. CCSF was not going to go down with out a fight and they sure showed it. In the 7th and 8th inning they pushed across 2 runs trying to chip away with the score now 11-7. The Panthers managed to score one more run in the game as Drain walked, followed by a L'Hommedieu bunt single. Bowen came thru with an infield single to score Drain and putting runners at 2nd and 3rd. That would be the last threat for both teams.
Offensively for the Panthers they collected 20 hits. Leadoff hitter Diego Fisher had four hits and scored twice, Carlos Drain had himself two hits, a HR, scored three runs, three RBIs and two walks Travis Madison had a double and a HR with three RBIs. Amier Bowen collected three hits, doubled and had 2 RBIs. Nikko Crivello had two hits, HR and 2 RBIs.
On the mound sophomore Ryan Rivera got the start. He went 3.1IP giving up two hits, two runs, striking out three and walking three. Nolan Maldonado came in relief and piitched 3.1IP, two hits, two runs, five strike outs, and three walks. Carson Cox finished it by throwing a clean inning collecting two strike outs.
Next, the Panthers (1-0) will return the trip and travel to play CCSF tomorrow in San Francisco. First pitch will be at 1:30 p.m.