East L.A. wins a pitcher’s duel with Vaqueros, 1-0

Troy Maki tossed seven shutout innings on Tuesday, leading East L.A. to a 1-0 baseball victory over SBCC in a pitcher's duel at Pershing Park.

The Vaqueros (4-3) had seven hits, including three doubles, and the Huskies (5-3) were held to six singles by four Vaquero hurlers.

SBCC threw three pitchers in the first three innings – Jack Aldrich, Toby Spach and Tristan Perrin, who ended up going four innings and blanking the Huskies on four hits.

East L.A. scored the only run of the game in the second inning. Spach hit Gabriel Jimenez, the first batter he faced, to open the second and he went to second on an infield single by Steven Villagran. The runners moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Vela. Jimenez scored the eventual game-winning run when Jake Aguilar grounded out to second base.

"It's been a while since we were shut out at home and maybe the guys forgot what it was like to play at home," said eighth-year coach Jeff Walker after his club made its second home appearance in eight games. "Their pitcher threw strikes, they played defense and they won the freebie war. They walked one guy and hit another and we had five walks and a hit batter.

"They also executed on their sac bunt and we did not. We got runners in scoring position and either didn't put the ball in play, stuck out or flew out. It was a very quick and unfortunate outcome."

Shortstop Nicholas Prainito went 3-4 and right fielder Logan Pollack was 2-4 with a double in the second. Prainito was the only Vaquero to reach third base after he singled with two outs in the third and went to third on a throwing error by the left fielder.

Pollack got to second in the seventh on a fielder's choice and wild pitch but was stranded when Elijah Hodges struck out and Nicholas Trifiletti popped out to right field. Patrick Caulfield doubled to the left-field corner with two outs in the ninth and East L.A. brought in Luis Ramos to pitch. He got Pollack on a grounder to second to earn the save.

The Huskies received a pair of walks in the eighth and got the runners to second and third. Conner Roberts got Aguilar on a groundout to third and Pollack made a nice diving catch in right field to keep the deficit at one run.

Three Husky pitchers recorded nine strikeouts and just one walk.

"We've been striking out with guys on base lately and our swings have been a little too long," Walker noted. "Whoever we put in the 3, 4 or 5 hole disappears when the game rolls around. We did get some good pitching today."

The Vaqueros were scheduled to play at L.A. Mission on Thursday but that has been postponed by rain. They may play a doubleheader with the Eagles on Saturday at a site to be determined.