A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

A student-operated publication at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The Oak Leaf

Bear Cubs pitching implodes in seventh inning, results in a loss

Patrick+Keamoi+warming+up+with+catcher+Cole+Brodnansky+before+his+second+career+start.
Attila LS Gero
Patrick Keamoi warming up with catcher Cole Brodnansky before his second career start.

Saturday’s game gave new meaning to the phrase “seventh-inning stretch.”

The Santa Rosa Junior College baseball team scored first, but Sacramento City College took advantage of a seventh inning collapse from SRJC pitching to secure a 3-1 win April 21 at Cook Sypher Field.

Second-year pitcher Patrick Keamoi made his second career start for the Bear Cubs. He pitched strong enough for the team to win, but was let down by the Bear Cubs’ offense. Keamoi pitched 7.2 innings and limited the Panthers offense to just four hits and zero runs. He also added two more strikeouts in the game to pad his season total of 16.

“Patrick pitched a heck of a game. He gave up four hits and we couldn’t score any runs for him,” said assistant coach Tom Francois.

Keamoi boasts a team low ERA of 0.67 and has only given up 17 hits in 27 innings pitched.

First-year pitcher Carson Snyder relieved him on the mound at the top of the seventh inning with only one out left. He had a rough time following up to Keamoi’s excellent outing. He only faced two batters but made some critical mistakes before being quickly replaced.

Snyder committed a fielding error resulting in a Sac City player reaching first base safely. The next pitch he threw went behind catcher Cole Brodnansky and the runner advanced to second. He walked the next batter with four balls, putting two players on base. After two batters, Synder’s outing was done.

“Well, what can I say? We don’t make that error, we win that ball game,” Francois said.

Second-year pitcher Trenton Darley came out of the bullpen to take over for Snyder. Darley made the same mistakes as Snyder by walking the first batter he faced to load the bases.  

The Bear Cubs were grasping onto their 1-0 lead. All the team needed was one out to end the inning.

Darley had Jake Guethe, right fielder for Sac City, in a 3-2 count before he cracked a low-hanging breaking ball to the gap between left and center field. His stand-up double cleared the bases and put Sac City to a 3-1 lead over the Bear Cubs.

“Top of the seventh, all he has to do is get an out. You gotta close the door, man,” Francois said.

SRJC fought back but were not triumphant in their efforts.

Only one player, shortstop Hance Smith, recorded a hit after trailing 3-1. Smith, now batting second in the lineup behind right fielder Blake Berry, had the most productive day for the Cubs’ offense. Smith went 2-3 and drove in the only Bear Cubs run.

“At this point of the season, it’s going to be the team that makes the least amount of mistakes that’s going to win. You saw what our mistake cost us today,” Francois said.

Up Next

The Bear Cubs (24-10) begin their final series of the season against Sierra College (27-9) at 2:30 p.m. April 24 in Rocklin, Ca.

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About the Contributor
Attila LS Gero, Staff Writer
Attila was born in Los Angeles Aug. 1997 and moved to Sebastopol in July 2007. He is a second-generation immigrant from Hungary and has an extended family living in Budapest. With a combination of inherited writing skills,obsessive sports fanaticism and constantly seeking approval from his peers, it was a no-brainer for Attila to pursue a career in sports journalism. He is a fan of the Dodgers, Browns and Lakers. Attila is also a fan of: politics; romantic comedies; petting other people's dogs and renaming them when they leave; driving to nowhere with all his windows down in the summer while listening to music; wearing pink; annoying Brandon and feeding his shoe-shopping addiction; geography; hiding from people he went to high school with when he sees them on campus; and that feeling when you get into bed after a long day and a hot shower and the bed has new clean sheets.

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