REEDLEY – It's been a tough stretch of the season for the West Hills College Coalinga baseball team. On Saturday, the Falcons couldn't hold a mid-game lead and suffered a 9-6 loss at Reedley College.
WHCC suffered a three-game Central Valley Conference sweep after dropping the opener 11-2 on Tuesday and falling 12-2 in Game 2 on Thursday.
The Falcons got off to a great start in Saturday's series finale. West Hills manufactured a run in the top of the first inning as Jozaiah Valdez came in to score on a Reedley wild pitch.
West Hills extended its lead to 5-0 thanks to a four-run, second-inning rally. Trenton Avitia hit a one-out sacrifice fly to bring in Jacob Cruz, Agustin Castro came through with an RBI single to score Jack Hanger, and Jacob Stock and Michael Anolin drew bases-loaded walks to force in Valdez and Castro with the final runs of the frame.
Reedley (9-8, 18-13 CVC) scored a pair of runs off Falcons' starter Aiden Rocha in the bottom of the second before West Hills got its final run in the fifth when Valdez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home Cruz.
The Tigers went to work against the West Hills bullpen, scoring two runs in the sixth, a run in the seventh, and four runs in the eighth to pull out the win.
Rocha pitched well in the no decision, going 5 innings while allowing 2 runs and 6 hits.
WHCC totaled 8 hits in the contest, getting a pair of knocks from Aviram Ramirez (2 for 4).
On Tuesday, starting pitcher Karter Pate ran into trouble early, giving up three runs in the bottom of the first to the host Tigers. He ended up going six innings, allowing seven runs (six runs) and six hits. Pate struck out five and walked two.
Hanger went 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead West Hills at the plate.
In Coalinga on Thursday, Reedley again jumped on the Falcons' starter Nikayha Castro early, putting up four runs over the first three innings. Castro allowed six runs (four earned) and seven hits over six innings of work in the loss.
Ramirez had a good game offensively, going 3 for 4 with a double while Anolin went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The Falcons last won on March 22 and have now lost eight straight ball games. They'll look to get back on track on Wednesday (Apr. 13) when they host Antelope Valley College in a 1 p.m. non-conference game.