Monarchs bring the thunder

After a rain delay, the Renegades slip and the Monarchs run away with it.

By Nicholas Orozco, Sports Editor

Freshman third baseman Sean David being congratulated at home by freshmen Royce Clayton Jr. and Max Aude, after hitting a two-run homerun in the sixth inning against Bakersfield College. (Nicholas Orozco | Valley Star)

An hour rain delay did not water down Valley's momentum as they added seven runs to their score after the break, coming out on top 10-1 and defeating the Renegades.

Valley College (17-10, 9-2 WSC) hosted conference opponent Bakersfield College (10-18, 4-7 WSC) on Thursday in a baseball game that lasted nearly four hours. The Monarchs came out on top winning 10-1, scoring in seven of the nine innings they played.

“Our guys didn’t let off the gas,” said pitching coach Josh Goossen-Brown. “We put up two innings almost every inning, we faced some adversity and it didn’t shake us at all.”

With rain and thunder interrupting this game, the second in a three-game series, sophomore Danny Veloz took his place on the sodden mound.

Veloz threw three innings prior to the game being delayed. He struggled before the storm, walking four batters and letting up a single. Veloz found his tempo after the game resumed, not allowing a single batter to get on base in the following three innings. Only one batter would reach base that came from a throwing error.

“I thought I was done for the day,” said Veloz about his start and rain delay. “Goose[coach Goossen-Brown] told me to stay warm, I had to warm up when it was raining.”

Over the course of his six innings of work, Veloz struck out two batters and walked four, all while not allowing a runner to touch third base. Following his start, sophomore pitcher Andy Rodriguez allowed the only run Bakersfield put up from a solo home run. Freshman Steven Miller took the ball in the ninth to close it out.

The offense took advantage of Bakersfield’s pitching with batters consistently making contact and thundering hits across the diamond.

In the first inning, sophomore Bobby Velasco grounded out to third and allowed sophomore Tyler Olivas to come home from second after the first baseman threw the ball away.

Freshman Tino Valdez hit a triple in the second inning that brought home freshman Will White. Next in line, freshman Luis Torres, hit a double down the left field line that scored Valdez with ease.

The game was then delayed for over an hour going into the fourth inning. Once players were allowed to resume play, the Monarchs pounced on the Renegades.

A double from freshman Royce Clayton Jr. scored Valdez. He then touched home himself on a passed ball in the fourth. Valdez came back up in the fifth inning, hitting a single that scored sophomore Brandon Cuervo and freshman Max Aude.

In the sixth inning, freshman Sean David hit a two-run home run over the left-center wall that also brought in Clayton Jr. The final run would be produced on a passed ball that allowed White to come home, finalizing the score 10-1.

“It’s huge, going up three-plus runs, I know I can just throw strikes and let my defense play,” said Veloz following the win and speaking on his powerful offense.

Valley will host Bakersfield once more to finish the three-game series on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.