RIVERSIDE – The 22nd seed Grossmont College Griffins scored six in the top of the sixth inning to put game one of the best of three series against the third seeded Riverside City College in the books as a 14-3 victory in the California Community College Athletic Association's Southern California Regionals.
Kyle Dobyns (7-2) allowed a solo home run in the first and another run in the seventh. But the five innings in between, there were nothing but zeros in the score column. The Hawai'i commit threw seven innings allowing the two runs on six hits and six strikeouts. Closing the game out for the Griffins (22-17) were Caleb Harris (one inning, two hits, a run) and Dylan Vail (one inning, one hit, one walk and a strikeout).
Offensively, Skyler Agnew went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in and a solo home run in the second to tie the game up after Riverside (28-12) hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first. That was not the only run in the second for Grossmont. Nevan Noonan doubled to left center after Agnew's home run. Noah Lane walked to put two on. Juan Nunez followed that up with another walk to load the bases with only one out. A Riverside wild pitch allowed Noonan and Lane to score and Nunez ended up on third. Brodie Romero finished his at bat with an RBI single to left to make it 4-1 Grossmont.
In the fourth inning, Braedon Ross walked with two outs to get the rally going. Romero continued where he left off last weekend and had another single to left. The left fielder misplayed the ball allowing Romero to end up at third and Ross to touch home for a 5-1 lead.
Ethan Caschetta would single to open the fifth against Riverside's third pitcher of the day (they would end up throwing five pitchers). Luke Denos would follow with a single to right moving Caschetta to second. Agnew would attempt a sacrifice bunt, but the Riverside defense went to third to get Caschetta and give Skyler a fielder's choice. No worries as Noonan would walk to load the bases up again. Lane would lift a sacrifice fly to left to allow Denos to score and make it 6-1 midway through the game.
Grossmont would break the game wide open in the sixth inning with the previously mentioned six runs. Romero would walk with one out, and Luke Mansy would single to left moving the All-PCAC designated hitter (who was playing first in this game) to second. Caschetta would walk to load the bases again. After the Tigers would bring in a new arm, the Griffins would hit four hits in five batters (the other batter walked). Mix in a stolen base and the Green and Gold would send 12 batters to plate garnering five hits, four walks scoring six times and leaving the bases loaded.
Riverside would add single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Grossmont would close out the proceedings with back-to-back doubles from Agnew and Noonan to score Caschetta and Agnew and put up 14 runs.
The same two teams will reconvene at Evans Sports Complex tomorrow morning for game two at 11:00 a.m. Should Riverside win that game, a deciding game three would get underway soon after.