Baseball Game Highlights 2009

Finished in State Elite 8

Overall Record: 31 - 20
Big 8 Conference Record: 11 - 10

Photos from season's games by
photographer Bob Stoddard.

Sierra 6, Delta 9

The Wolverines faced elimination and the end to their season with a loss.

Dustin Stoddard started on the mound for Sierra and he gave up 2 runs to Delta in the top of the first inning. He was relieved by Cole Saunders who yielded 4 runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched as Delta jumped out to a 6-1 lead.

McKenzie White allowed one run as Delta pushed their lead to 7-1. Sierra battled back and made the score 8-6 in the bottom of the 8th inning before their rally stalled and Delta added an insurance run in the top of the 9th inning.

That was all the scoring for the day as Sierra ended the season on the short end of a 9-6 decision and finished with a 31-20 record. By making it to Sunday of the Feather River Super Regional, Sierra College became the only California Community College baseball team to appear in 4 consecutive Elite 8 appearances.

Sierra 6, San Mateo 5

Sierra battled the heat and the devastating loss just 40 minutes prior and a very formidable opponent in the #4 seed in Northern California, College of San Mateo as the loser faced elimination.

Sierra started Paul Jinkens and he overpowered the Bulldog hitters as he struck out 6 in 7 strong innings of work. The two teams went back and forth as neither was able to put the other away for good. Sierra trailed 3-1 in the bottom of the 4th inning and scored twice to tie the game.

Once again, CSM scored a single run in the top of the 7th inning and Sierra answered that run with a run of their own on a RBI single by Kareem Edwards to tie the score at 4 apiece.

Sierra took the lead in the bottom of the 8th inning on a long blast off the bat of Joe Bonfe, his second HR of the day. With 2 outs and only one out away from a victory, Sierra closer Michael Garber hung a curveball and it was launched for a game-tying run for San Mateo.

This would force extra innings and in the bottom of the 11th inning Sierra’s Sam Montgomery scored Chris Cottingham who had doubled with a line drive to right center on a 3-2 pitch to end the season for San Mateo and push Sierra into the California Elite 8 for the 4th consecutive season.

Sierra 5, Delta 6

Two Big 8 Conference foes would compete in the winner’s bracket of the Nor-Cal Super Regional at Feather River College. Sierra was coming off a 13-9 victory over top seeded host Feather River College and Delta beat College of San Mateo the previous day in 11 innings by the score of 7-6.

Sierra started Jeremy Cole on the mound and once again he was solid. Sierra took a 2-0 lead in the second inning then Delta tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the 4th inning. The Wolverines scored a single run in the top of the 5th inning on a RBI single up the middle by Abel Alcantar to give Sierra a 3-2 lead. Cole continued to dominate the Mustang hitters through the bottom of the 7th inning and Sierra was 9 outs away from gaining a huge advantage in the Regional and get one step away from a State Championship berth.

Delta hit a solo HR to right field in the bottom of the 7th inning to tie the game at 3. The Mustangs took a 5-3 lead into the top of the 9th inning before Sierra’s Joe Bonfe hit a towering 2-run HR to left field to tie the game at 5.

Unfortunately for Sierra, Delta scored a single run in the bottom of the 9th inning with 2 outs to leave Sierra on the field and severely damage their chances to gain a berth in the State Championship for the 3rd time in the past 4 years. The hitting leaders for Sierra were Joe Bonfe 1-3 HR 2 RBI, Abel Alcantar 3x5 RBI and Jesse Olson 2x4.

Sierra 13, Feather River 9

Sierra traveled to Quincy to take on the Golden Eagles of Feather River. Feather River entered the game with the best record in California (44 wins and 3 losses). After ½ of an inning, it looked like the Eagles would add to their win total as Sierra committed 5 errors and allowed 5 runs to begin the game. The difference between the two teams was the conference they played in. Sierra had been tested with close games all season long and Feather River cruised to most all of their victories.

Sierra did battle back and in the bottom of the 7th inning they were trailing by the score of 9-4 but tied the game after a grand slam by Matt Foat. They went to their bullpen after starter Ryan Guzman pitched an outstanding game and was relieved by Michael Garber.

The game remained tied until the top of the 9th inning when Sierra exploded for 4 runs and captured a 13-9 opening round victory. Garaber earned the victory and the leading hitters were Max Gordon 2x4 2 runs, Keith Jennette 2x5, Matt Foat 3.4 3 runs, 3 RBI including a grand slam, Abel Alcantar 2x4 2 runs 2 RBI, Chris Cottingham 1x4 with a very important 2 RBI double and Alex Anicich had a RBI pinch hit single. Sierra will play conference foe Delta College in the winner’s bracket.

Sierra 19, Fresno 10

Game 3

After one of the most dramatic endings in California Community College playoff history, Sierra looked to carry their momentum into the elimination game and win the series.

Paul Jinkens was the starting pitcher for Sierra. The game appeared to be on its way to a 5 hour 50 run outing as each team scored 2 runs apiece in the first 3 innings. Sierra then scored 4 times in the top of the 4th inning and for the first time in this game, held Fresno from scoring. Freshman Morgan Yee Relieved Jinkens in the 4th inning and was OUTSTANDING! Yee pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed Sierra to breathe easy for a while with a 13-7 lead until the bottom of the 8th inning.

Fresno scored three runs and got the tying run to home plate with no outs when Sierra went to their closer Michael Garber. Garber, like Yee, was OUTSTANDING as he got a fly ball out, a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat and keep Fresno from scoring any more runs. On the ground out, 1B Chris Cottingham made a great dig of an arrant throw to save at least one run.

In the top of the 9th inning, Sierra erupted for 6 more runs and proved to be too much offense for Fresno as they captured the best of 3 series final game by the score of 19-10, thus ending the Rams season. Sierra had an amazing total of 25 hits in this game.

The offensive leaders were Max Gordon 2x6, Matt Foat 3x5 3 runs HR 5 RBI, Joe Bonfe 2x4 3 runs 2 RBI, Abel Alcantar 3x6 2 runs 3 RBI, Chris Cottingham 4x6 HR 4 RBI, Sam Montgomery 2x5, Tyler Dewitt 4x5 3 runs 2 RBI and Jesse Olson 4x5 2 runs 2 RBI.

The win advances Sierra to the Super Regional in Quincy at Feather River College on May 15-17, 2009 with a chance to advance to the state championship for the 3rd time in the past 4 years.

Sierra 7, Fresno 6

Game 2

Facing elimination and having their backs pressed against the wall, Sierra looked to veteran sophomore and 7-game winner, Jeremy Cole to extend their season. Sierra was the home team in this game.

Cole was once again superb as he held hard-hitting Fresno to 4 runs over 6 2/3 innings before handing the ball to Jesse Garcia. Garcia worked out of a 1st and 3rd situation and kept Sierra in a 5-4 lead entering the bottom of the 7th inning. They didn’t score in the 7th and allowed Fresno to score 2 runs in the top of the 8th inning to take a 6-5 lead. The Wolverines were silent again in the bottom of the 8th inning and faced elimination unless they scored in their last chance, the bottom of the 9th inning.

With 2 outs and no one on, Abel Alcantar battled against their closer and with 2 strikes, lined a single to left field to get the winning run to the plate in Chris Cottingham. On the first pitch Cottingham saw, he crushed an opposite field homerun to right center and the celebration was on! The entire Sierra team mobbed “Cotty” at home plate and the Fresno players and fans sat in dead silence and shock as Sierra celebrated.

Game 3, the winner take all game was now on. The offensive leaders in this game were Max Gordon 2 RBI, Joe Bonfe 2x5, Abel Alcantar 2x5, Sam Montgomery 2x2 and Chris Cottingham 2x5 HR 2 RBI. Cottingham’s homerun was the most dramatic/exciting/clutch homerun coach Willson has ever been involved in over his 18 year head coaching career.

Sierra 5, Fresno 10

Game 1

Sierra traveled to Fresno to battle the favored Rams in a best of 3 series over two days. Game one was very competitive as each team answered the others’ scoring and the game was tied in the bottom of the 7th inning at 5 apiece. The Rams rallied with a single and a walk and had runners on 1st and 2nd when the Wolverines pulled starter Ryan Guzman and went to closer Michael Garber. On the second pitch Garber threw, the Ram shortstop hit a towering homerun to left field for 3 runs and an 8-5 lead. Garber struck out the next two batters but the damage was done. Fresno tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the 8th inning for a 10-5 victory. The offensive leaders were for Sierra were Jesse Olson 3x4 and Abel Alcantar hit a homerun. The loss forces Sierra to sweep a doubleheader from host Fresno on Saturday.

Sierra 5, Delta 8

The Wolverines traveled to Stockton to take on Delta College just one day after defeating them and assuring themselves a spot in the 16 team Northern California State Playoffs. Jeremy Cole took the hill for Sierra and he wasn’t his normal self, but did battle and keep Sierra in the game as they trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the 6th inning. Sierra went to their closer Michael Garber who has been untouchable this entire season and on this day; he didn’t have it in the 6th as he allowed 4 runs. Garber had only allowed 2 runs all year before this outing. He did settle down and pitch 2 scoreless innings to end the game. The Wolverines did battle in the top of the 8th inning as they scored twice but fell short by the score of 8-5. The loss ends the regular season for Sierra who finished 27-17 overall and 11-10 in the Big 8 Conference. Their next game will be on Friday May 8, 2009 at a site yet to be determined.

Sierra 10, Delta 7

Sierra looked to clinch no worse than 4th place in the very tough Big 8 Conference with a victory over Delta College of Stockton. Ryan Guzman pitched very well and entered the 9th inning only throwing 82 pitches and a 10-3 lead. The offense was again solid as they scored early and often. The Wolverines took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning and added a single run in the third. The put the game away with 3 more runs in the 5th and 6th innings. The offensive leaders on the day were Max Gordon 2x5, Nicko Garibay 2 RBI, Matt Foat 4x5, Joe Bonfe 2x5, Abel Alcantar 2x4 2 2B 2 RBI and Parker McCready 1x3 3B and 2 RBI. Jesse Garcia came in to save the game and preserve a 10-7 victory. The win improves Sierra’s record to 27-16 overall and 11-9 in conference.

Sierra 8, Modesto 1

Just one day after being dominated at home by the same team, Sierra did a full reversal and turned the tables on Modesto. The Wolverines sent sophomore Jeremy Cole to the mound and he was outstanding! The Sierra offense scored 6 runs in the top of the second inning as they pounded the ball all over the field to take a comfortable lead. The offensive leaders were Matt Foat 4x4 2B 3 RBI, Joe Bonfe 2x4 2B, Abel Alcantar 2x5, Jesse Olson 3x5 2 RBI and Sam Montgomery 2 RBI.

Sierra 0, Modesto 7

Sierra hosted the Pirates from Modesto College in a crucial Big 8 Conference game. Unfortunately for Sierra, Modesto pitched their ace Ruben Ramos and on this day he was dominant. Ramos held the Sierra offense to 6 hits and 0 runs in a complete game victory. The Pirate offense was equally as impressive as Ramos as they got to Wolverine starter Paul Jinkens for 4 runs in two innings of work. They added three runs in the top of the third inning which broke the game open. The Wolverine bullpen was the bright spot on this day (David Wagner, Chris Johnson, Morgan Yee, McKenzie White, Scott Tully and Drew Dennis) as they pitched 7 innings and held Modesto to 3 runs. On offense, Chris Cottingham and Joe Bonfe each had two hits. Final score Modesto 7 Sierra 0.

Sierra 13, American River 9

The Wolverines looked to sweep the four game series from the Beavers of American River College. Sophomore Ryan Guzman was the starting pitcher for Sierra and he looked to defeat ARC for the third time this season. He did just that with much help from a very potent offense on this day. Guzman pitched 6 2/3 innings after allowing 4 runs in the first. He earned his 8th victory of the season. The offense was led by Chris Cottingham 5x5 3 RBI, Joe Bonfe 3x5 5 RBI, Jesse Olson 3x5 3 RBI and Sam Montgomery 3x3. the final score was 13-9 Sierra.

Sierra 8, American River 1

Looking to end their two game losing streak, the Sierra College baseball team sent Jeremy Cole to the mound. It didn’t take Cole long to send the Wolverine fans and players home early with a very impressive 8-1 victory over the Beavers of American College. He threw only 82 pitches in 9 innings and did not allow an earned run on the day. He didn’t walk any hitters and got 18 groundball outs while yielding 4 hits. Sierra trailed 1-0 after one inning but took a 4-1 lead in the fourth and never looked back. They had 11 hits on the day and cruised to the victory. The offensive leaders were Matt Foat 3x5 2B, Joe Bonfe 2x3, Chris Cottingham 3B, 3 RBI and Jesse Olson 2x3 2B. The victory improves the Wolverine record to 25-14 overall and 8-8 in the toughest conference in California, the Big 8 Conference.

Sierra 7, Diablo Valley College 10

The Wolverines traveled to Pleasant Hill to take on the first place Vikings of Diablo Valley College. Paul Jinkens earned the start on the mound for Sierra College and he did a descent job with very little defensive support. The Wolverine defense struggled mightily in the past two games versus DVC. Jiknens pitched 6 2/3 innings and was relieved by Jake Morton and Scott Tully who both did good jobs on the day. Unfortunately for Sierra, their bad defense handed DVC 6 runs which was too much to overcome against a first place team. In spite of the bad defense, the Wolverine offense pulled them within one run at 7-6 in the top of the 7th inning but couldn’t take the lead and lost by the score of 10-7. The offensive leaders for Sierra were Joe Bonfe 2x5 2B, HR and 3 RBI, Ted Lemasters 2x4 2B and Sam Montgomery 2x4.

Sierra 3, Bakersfield 1

The last game of the 3 day tournament was Sierra vs. Bakersfield at COS. Sierra sent Paul Jinkens to the mound and he was very good. He held a good team to one run in 6 innings of work, while striking out 8 and walking only 2. Jesse Garcia came in to pitch 3 scoreless innings and struck out 6 and earned the save for Sierra. The Wolverine offense could only muster 4 hits on the day and 3 runs, but it was just enough as they defeated Bakersfield by the score of 3-1. Keith Jennette was 2x3. The win improves the Sierra record on the season to 23-13.

Sierra 12, Saddleback 7

Sierra was the visitor as they played Saddleback College from the Orange Empire Conference in southern California. Sierra scored early and often as they took a 10-1 lead after three innings and held on to defeat the Gauchos by the score of 12-7. Jeremy Cole pitched 5 strong innings to earn the victory and Dave Wagner pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief. The offensive leaders on the day were Max Gordon 2x3 3 runs scored, Keith Jennette 2x5, Joe Bonfe 2x5 2B, Jesse Olson 2x3 HR 3 RBI, Abel Alcantar 3x5 2 2B, and Tyler Dewitt 2x4. The victory improves the Wolverine record to 22-13 on the season.

Sierra 6, College of the Sequoias 4

The Wolverines traveled to Visalia to play three games in three days in the College of the Sequoias Easter Tournament. Sierra opened with the host Giants of COS. Sequoias entered the game with an impressive 20-11 record but was defeated by strong pitching from Ryan Guzman and three homeruns. Joe Bonfe hit his 7th of the season, Matt Foat hit his 6th and Chris Cottingham hit his 3rd of the season to lead the offense. Guzman pitched 7 2/3 strong innings and Mike Garber earned the save as he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The final score was Sierra 6 and COS 4.

Sierra 11, Cosumnes River 3

Sierra and Cosumnes River were back on the field to face each other again less than 20 hours after CRC defeated Sierra in Sacramento the previous day. Today’s game was in Rocklin and Sierra sent their new man in the starting rotation, Paul Jinkens to the hill. Jinkens earned the spot when Jeremy Cole went down with an injury. The bullpen was bolstered when Jesse Garcia was now available to pitch in relief and Cole remained in the starting rotation. Jinkens was coming off two consecutive outing where he only gave up 1 run in each and pitched seven and eight innings in those games. Today, he was not quite as effective, but did do a solid job of keeping the hard hitting Hawks to 3 runs through 3 innings of work. Chris Johnson entered the game in the top of the 4th inning and did an outstanding job ending a potential huge rally.

After Johnson, it was the before mentioned Jesse Garcia who was AMAZING!!! Garcia entered the game with Sierra trailing 3-0 and held CRC scoreless for the next 5 1/3 innings while allowing only 1 hit and no runs and walking only 1 while striking out 6 to earn the win. The Sierra bats woke up big time in the bottom of the 6th inning as they homered three times in that inning. Matt Foat, Chris Cottingham and Tyler Dewitt all hit towering blasts. Sam Montgomery also homered and went 4x4 on the day to lead Sierra to an 11-3 victory. The victory gives Sierra 20 wins on the season.

The Wolverines will Travel to Visalia over the spring break to play in a 3 game tournament and will return home on Tuesday April 14th to host first place Diablo Valley College of Pleasant Hill.

Sierra 6, Cosumnes River 9

The Wolverines traveled to Sacramento to take on one of the hottest teams in the Big 8 Conference, the Hawks of Cosumnes River College. Sophomore Jeremy Cole returned to the starting rotation after injuring his leg over two weeks ago. He was roughed up in the first inning as CRC scored 4 times on two homeruns. Cole, the experienced veteran he is, settled down and did not allow another run through 5 innings which gave Sierra a chance. Unfortunately for Sierra on this day they were trying to defeat the Hawks’ ace and one of the best pitchers in the Big 8 Conference in Ray Hernandez. Sierra got as close as 4-2 but CRC broke it open in the bottom of the 7th inning and cruised to a 9-6 victory. Sierra did score 4 times in the top of the 9th inning but that wasn’t enough.

Sierra 3, Sacramento City 1

Sierra and Sacramento concluded their series in Rocklin as two lefties faced off for the second time this season. Sierra’s Ryan Guzman was once again outstanding as he led the Wolverines to their second straight victory over the Panthers. Guzman pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing only one run and one walk as he earned the victory. On offense, Sierra was led by Max Gordon who was 1x1, 2BB and 2 runs scored. Matt Foat also had a RBI single and Jesse Olson was 2x4. Guzman was helped with outstanding defense by 1B Chris Cottingham who made a great play on a bunt defense and an even better diving stop with two outs and a runner in scoring position to save a run and keep the lead for Sierra. Reliever Michael Garber pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for Sierra College to earn the save. Garber allowed 0 hits and walked none. The victory improves Sierra’s record to 19-12 overall and 6-5 in the Big 8 Conference.

Sierra 5, Sacramento City 1

Sierra would take on the Panthers of Sacramento City College in a battle of two teams with identical conference records. Paul Jinkens was the starting pitcher for Sierra as he filled in for Jeremy Cole. This was Jinkens second start of the season and like his first, he was very good. He was actually much better this time than one week ago. His command was outstanding as he pitched 8 strong innings allowing only 1 walk and 1 run. The Wolverine defense did an outstanding job playing an error free game and getting two remarkable assists from rightfielder Abel Alcantar. The offensive stars were Max Gordon 3x5, Keith Jennette 2x4, Matt Foat 3x5 and Joe Bonfe who hit a 3 run HR and drove in 4 runs. Mike Garber pitched a scoreless 9th inning to preserve the win. The same two teams will meet in Rocklin next Tuesday to conclude their season series.

Sierra 5, Santa Rosa JC 11

Sierra looked to sweep the season series from the Bear Cubs of Santa Rosa at home today. The wind was strong and the Bear Cub bats were also strong. SRJC got to Sierra starter Jesse Garcia for 5 earned runs in 3 innings and the Wolverine offense couldn’t match their output on this day. The Sierra bullpen was called on to try and stop the offensive onslaught but they couldn’t as Santa Rosa compiled 16 hits and 11 runs. The bright spots for Sierra were catcher Jesse Olson who hit his first college homerun and collected 3 hits on the day. Max Gordon was 2x5 with 2 RBI and Sam Montgomery was 2x3.

Sierra 8, Santa Rosa 1

The Wolverines ended their 5 game road trip in Santa Rosa and came away with a victory. Dominant pitching by Ryan Guzman and a potent bat by 3B Joe Bonfe was all Sierra would need to defeat the Bear Cubs by the score of 8-1. Guzman pitched 8 strong innings allowing one run while striking out 6 and walking one. Mike Garber pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Bonfe hit two towering homeruns to left field and had 4 RBI. Matt Foat was 2x5 with a 2B and RBI and Keith Jennette was 3x4. Santa Rosa entered the game as the only Big 8 Conference team with a 2 game winning streak. The victory improves the Wolverines record to 4-4 in conference and 17-11 overall. They are two games out of first place in conference.

Sierra 1, Delta 4

Delta College in Stockton hosted the Wolverines on a cloudy day. Paul Jinkens filled in for normal Saturday starter Jeremy Cole who injured his knee at practice earlier in the week. Jinkens worked out of many jams and kept the game tied at 0-0 entering the bottom of the 7th inning. That was the inning where the Mustangs of Delta scored all their runs. The rally started with an 0-2 basehit up the middle which was followed by a very close call and went the way of Delta and set up a 1st and 2nd situation with 0 outs. An attempted sacrifice bunt didn’t work for Delta and the second out was recorded. Sierra went to their bullpen for Chris Johnson. Johnson walked the #4 hitter for Delta who was 3x3 on the day which set up a bases loaded situation. Unfortunately for Sierra, they lost the bases loaded battle as Johnson gave up a grand slam. That was the only offensive scoring for Delta and Sierra scored their lone run in the top of the 9th inning. Matt Foat hit a double which almost cleared the left centerfield wall and a single to lead the Wolverine offense. Final score Delta 4 Sierra 1.

Sierra 11, Modesto 4

The Wolverines looked to continue their winning ways after defeating American River on Tuesday and today traveled to Modesto. Sierra scored first with a single run in the top of the 1st inning on a double by Abel Alcantar. Modesto took a 2-1 lead entering the top of the 3rd inning but Sierra tied it and took a 3-2 lead into the 7th inning. That was when Sierra broke the game open with 3 runs in the 7th, two in the 8th and 2 in the 9th inning to earn a 11-4 victory. Jesse Garcia started and pitched 7 strong innings to earn the win and Chris Johnson pitched two scoreless innings in relief. The offensive leaders were Max Gordon 2x5 2B 2 RBI, Keith Jennette 3x5 2B 2 RBI, Matt Foat 2x6 2B HR 3 RBI, Joe Bonfe 3x5 2B 3 RBI and Kareem Edwards 3x5 2B 2 RBI. The win improves Sierra’s record to 16-10 overall and 3-3 in Big 8 Conference play.

Sierra 6, American River 4

Sierra and their neighbor American River College battled in Sacramento on St. Patrick’s Day. Ryan Guzman was the starting pitcher for Sierra and he once again dominated the Beavers. He pitched 7 2/3 strong innings and if not for his own mental mistake, he would have not allowed a run. Guzman failed to cover first base on a ground ball to 1B Ted Lemasters and thus allowed a 3 run double after that as a result. Sierra took a commanding 6-0 lead into the bottom of the 8th inning but ARC made it a 6-3 game. Sierra went to freshman Michael Garber and he was very good. He closed out the threat in the bottom of the 8th inning and pitched a very intense and scoreless 9th inning striking out the last 2 hitters to earn the save. The offensive leaders for Sierra were 2B Matt Foat 3x5, Joe Bonfe 3x5 Abel Alcantar, Ben Schwefel and Nicko Garibay all had two hits apiece for Sierra. Final Score Sierra 6 American River 4.

Sierra 3, Diablo Valley 9

Sierra traveled to Pleasant Hill to oppose the Vikings of Diablo Valley College. Coming into this game, DVC was one of the hottest teams in the Big 8 Conference. Today they didn’t slow down. Their starter is a true freshman left hander who will attend Long Beach State or UCLA next season. DVC hit Sierra’s starter Jeremy Cole hard in the 3rd inning as they scored four times and took a commanding 5-0 lead which they would not relinquish. The Wolverines did score twice in the top of the 5th inning but wouldn’t get any closer than that as they dropped their third consecutive decision by the score of 9-3. Keith Jennette was the offensive leader for Sierra as he went 3x4 with a 2B and 3B.

Sierra 3, Cosumnes River 8

Sierra College and Cosumnes River College put their identical 1-1 records on the line in Rocklin. Sierra began the scoring in the bottom of the first inning by scoring 3 runs. CRC answered with 5 runs of their own in the top of the 3rd inning off starter Jesse Garcia to take the lead they would never relinquish. The Hawks added two more runs in the top of the 4th inning to extend their lead to 7-3. The 3 runs in the first for Sierra was the only offense they could muster all day. Two bright spots for the Wolverines were Sam Montgomery who went 2x4 and hit the ball hard all four time at bat. Also, the bullpen pitched 4 scoreless innings to keep the game within reach. The pitchers were Chris Johnson, Dan Stith, Jake Morton and Morgan Yee. The loss drops the Wolverine record to 14-8 overall and 1-2 in Big 8 Conference play.

Sierra 7, Sacramento City 15

Sierra and the Panthers of Sacramento both entered the second conference game undefeated. Sierra sent Ryan Guzman to the mound with a perfect record on the season and he was very good for four innings. Sierra took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the 4th inning on singles by Matt Foat, Joe Bonfe Abel Alcantar, Chris Cottingham and a 2 run 2 out RBI single by Max Gordon. Unfortunately for Sierra, that lead didn’t last long. The Panthers hit a few mistakes by Guzman for extra base hits and they erupted for 11 runs in the top of the 5th inning to take control of the game. The final score was 15-7 in favor of Sacramento. The offensive leaders for Sierra were Max Gordon 2x4, Matt Foat 3x5 3 RBI, and Abel Alcantar 4x5. The loss drops the Sierra overall record to 14-7 and 1-1 in Big 8 Conference play.

Sierra 5, Santa Rosa 3

The 2009 Big 8 Conference opener was as expected, very close and intense. Sierra College hosted the Bear Cubs from Santa Rosa. Jeremy Cole was the starting pitcher and ran into trouble in the top of the first as Santa Rosa scored 3 times to open the game. After that, Cole was his usual self and held SRJC scoreless for the next 5 innings. On offense, the Wolverines were shut down by the Bear Cubs ace for the first 6 innings and headed into the bottom of the 7th inning with a 3-0 deficit. That is when their bats came alive and they erupted for 5 runs. The big hit in the inning came from 3B Joe Bonfe who doubled with the bases loaded and two outs to score three runs. Dustin Stoddard pitched a scoreless 7th inning for Sierra and freshman Cole Saunders came in to finish the game with two scoreless innings of his own to earn the save. Final score Sierra 5 Santa Rosa 3.

This win marked the existing coaching staff’s 200th win at Sierra College in just over 6 seasons. The three coaches who have been here for the duration are Rob Willson, Ryan Evangelho and Josh Morton. The Wolverines have averaged 31 wins per season since taking over in 2003.

Sierra 4, Modesto 11

The Wolverines traveled to Modesto to take on the Pirates in their last non-conference game prior to starting Big 8 Conference play on Saturday. Jesse Garcia started on the mound for Sierra and he lasted 3 innings before the weather ended his day. The game was delayed for 1:10 before play resumed. Sierra jumped to an early lead as they scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but were limited to only one run after that. Ted Lemasters homered for the Wolverines and Parker McCready was 2x3. The Pirates overcame a 4-2 deficit in the bottom 7th inning to defeat Sierra by the score of 11-4.

Sierra 16, American River 3

The Wolverines took on the Beavers of American River College. Sierra started Ryan Guzman on the mound and again, he was dominant! Guzman pitched 6 scoreless innings allowing 5 hits walking none and striking out four. The Sierra offense wasted no time as they scored 4 runs in the first inning. The offensive onslaught didn’t slow for the next 5 innings as the Wolverine offense jumped to a 16-0 lead after six innings and cruised to a 16-3 victory. Cole Saunders allowed one run in an inning. Mike Garber pitched a scoreless 8th and Scott Tully allowed 2 runs, one earned in the ninth inning. The offensive leaders for Sierra were Max Gordon 2x3, Keith Jennette 2x3, Matt Foat 2x4 2B, HR and 5 RBI, Joe Bonfe 3x5 and Abel Alcantar 2x4 with 2 2B. The win improves Sierra’s record to 13-6 on the season.

Sierra 2, Cosumnes River 1

Sierra and Cosumnes River met 5 times last season and Sierra won all 5. Today was a rematch of their last encounter in the Super Regional State Playoffs in Fresno, as Jeremy Cole took the mound for Sierra and Ray Hernandez was the starting pitcher for CRC. Both pitchers are considered 2 of the best in California. On this day, they both pitched like it. Cole took a perfect game into the top of the 7th inning and lost it on a hit batsman and eventually lost his shutout in the same inning. He was staked to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning on a single by Abel Alcantar, a bunt single by Max Gordon and a line drive 2 RBI single by Matt Foat. This was all the scoring on the day as both teams could only muster 3 hits apiece as Sierra captured a 2-1 victory. The win improves the Wolverines record to 12-6 on the season.

Sierra 14, Solano 4

After sleepwalking through game one of the doubleheader, Sierra finally woke up and erupted for their best offensive output of the season in a 14-4 romp over Solano College of Fairfield. Ryan Guzman was the winning pitcher for Sierra as he completed 5 solid innings and was relieved by Cole Saunders who pitched 2 good innings and Mike Nicodemus also pitched two solid innings. The Wolverines collected 20 hits on the day. Once again, Matt Foat was unstoppable as he was 5x5 with a HR and 5 RBI, Keith Jennette 3x3, Joe Bonfe 3x4 3 RBI and Abel Alcantar 3x4 with 3 runs scored. The win improved the Wolverine record to 11-6 on the season.

Sierra 5, Solano 8

The Falcons and the Wolverines would attempt to beat the rain and play a doubleheader in Rocklin. The game 1 starter for Sierra was Jesse Garcia. Garcia was coming off 2 very good outings. On this day, he was not as sharp as his recent outings and Solano beat him by the score of 8-5. Garcia pitched 5 innings allowing only 5 hits, 1 BB and did strike out 7 batters. The Wolverine offense never really did wake up and they suffered only their second loss in their past 9 games. Matt Foat continued his torrid hitting with a 2x4 2 RBI day and Ted Lemasters was 2x3.

Sierra 11, Solano 3

Sierra hosted the Solano College Falcons for a single game as Jeremy Cole was the starting pitcher and he worked 7 innings to earn the win, his 3rd of the season. Cole allowed 8 hits and 3 runs while walking none. He was relieved by Scott Tully who pitched two perfect innings and struck out 3. The Wolverine offense scored 7 times in the first three innings off Chad Chatfield a 2008 JC All-American from Solano. Max Goron, Chris Cottingham, Matt Foat, Joe Bonfe, and Keith Jennette all had at least 2 hits. Tyler Dewitt had 3 RBI for the Sierra offense in the 11-3 victory.

Sierra 11, Shasta 3

The Wolverines traveled three hours to a dry field in Redding to take on the Knights of Shasta College. It appeared to be a hitter’s day as the infield grass was extremely hard and both teams pounded ground ball singles early. Sierra took a 4-3 lead into the top of the 6th inning when they erupted for four runs in the inning to break the game open. Dustin Stoddard was the starting pitcher and pitched 3 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits but did not walk a batter. McKenzie White pitched innings 4-6 and was outstanding as he didn’t allow a run and only yielded one hit and earned the victory. David Wagner and Ryan Braas also held the Knights scoreless to end the ball game. The offensive leaders were Max Gordon 2x4, Matt Foat 2x4 2 2B, Joe Bonfe 2x4 HR 4 RBI, and Ted Lemasters 3x4 2B. The victory improved the Sierra record to 9-5 on the season.

Sierra 3, Western Nevada 13

Sierra put their 4 game winning streak on the line in the second game of the doubleheader. Freshman Cole Saunders was the starting pitcher for Sierra and struggled in the top of the 1st inning, but held the Wildcats to only one run. Sierra trailed 2-1 in the top of the 6th inning when the wheels came off. Western Nevada erupted for 8 runs in the inning which turned a good game into a blowout. The bright spot for Sierra in this game was DH Gio Rios who collected his first and second college hits on two line drive singles. The loss ended Sierra’s 4 game win streak, but the Wolverines did win 4 of 5 games this week.

Sierra 4, Western Nevada 1

Ryan Guzman earned the start for Sierra on the mound and totally dominated the Wildcat hitters. Guzman pitched 7 scoreless innings while striking out 6 and walking none. The Wildcats sent the high school pitcher of the year in Oregon in 2008 to the mound and he, like Guzman was very good. Sierra broke the 0-0 tie in the 5th inning on a double by Keith Jennette and a 2 out RBI single by Max Gordon. The Wolverines would score 4 runs on the day and Mike Garber pitched two innings allowing Western Nevada one run as he earned the save for Sierra and pushed their win streak to 4 games.

Sierra 7, College of the Sequoias 0

The rain came down hard as late as 5:30 a.m. this morning but it didn’t stop Sierra from getting this game in. The field tarp has been a savior this season as it has assisted in the Wolverines playing 4 games that they otherwise would not have played without a tarp. Jesse Garcia started and like Jeremy Cole yesterday, he was dominant. He used his 85-88 MPH fastball and an above average changeup to keep the Giants hitters off balance all day. He completed 7 innings giving up 2 hits, walking one and striking out 6 batters in route to the win. Sierra did not commit an error on the day. Michael Nicodemus pitched two scoreless innings to complete the shutout and give Sierra a 7-0 victory. The offensive leaders were Tyler Dewitt 2x2 RBI, and Chris Cottingham 2x4 with one run batted in.

Sierra 11, Mission College 3

Mission College from Santa Clara was today’s opponent for the Wolverines. Jeremy Cole started on the mound for Sierra and he was dominant! Cole pitched 7 strong innings and carried a no-hitter into the top of the 6th inning before yielding his first single of the day. Cole ended with 10 strikeouts and one walk while allowing only 2 hits over 7 innings. The Sierra offense was led by Chris Cottingham 3x4 3 runs scored, Derek Eid 3x3 3 RBI, Keith Jennette 2x4 2 RBI and Joe Bonfe who homered for the second time this season. The defense only committed one error on a wet field.

Sierra 8, Laney College 1

The Eagles of Laney College made the trip to a very cold and windy Rocklin on this Tuesday. Dustin Stoddard got the start on the mound for Sierra and he pitched 3 very strong innings allowing only one hit and no walks. Sierra had a 3-1 lead entering the 6th inning and scored 5 times in that frame to break the game open. The game was sloppy from the Wolverine standpoint at the plate and on the bases which has been the case most of the 2009 season. The pitching was again solid in yielding Laney only 5 hits and allowing only 2 walks. The hitting leaders for Sierra were Max Gordon 2x3 2 runs and 2 RBI, Joe Bonfe 2x2 with 2 RBI, Tyler Dewitt 2x4 2 runs and Parker McCready 2x2.

Sierra 3, Feather River 6

Sierra and Feather River battled on a very cold day in Rocklin. Feather River was coming off one of their best seasons in school history in 2008 as the advanced to the Nor-Cal Super Regional and they return most of their starting lineup from that team. Sophomore Ryan Guzman started on the mound for Sierra and similar to his first start of the season, he was not blessed with much run support. Guzman pitched 5 solid innings and took a 3-2 lead with him. The usually reliable Sierra bullpen was not that today as they yielded 4 runs to Feather River and the Wolverines brief 2 game winning streak was stopped by the score of 6-3. The Wolverine offense could only muster 3 hits on the day. The loss dropped the Wolverines record to 4-4 on the season and improved the Eagles record to 7-0.

Sierra 4, Shasta 1

Sierra and Shasta squared off in a non-conference game in Rocklin. Jesse Garcia started on the mound for Sierra and he would face an all-conference pitcher from Shasta. Garcia was outstanding on this day as he pitched 6 strong innings and walked none to earn the victory. Scott Tully and Mike Garber were also great out of the pen for the Wolverines who moved their record to 4-3 on the season. The hitting leaders were Max Gordon 2x4, Chris Cottingham 2B, Keith Jennette 2B, Sam Montgomery 2B and Matt Foat 2B.

Box score

Sierra 17, Lassen 4

After a rain out on Thursday, Sierra hosted Lassen College from Susanville on Friday. Staff ace Jeremy Cole started and dominated Lassen for five innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen. The pen was also solid as Chris Johnson, McKenzie White, Paul Jinkens and Dan Stith closed the door on the Cougars and preserved the victory for Sierra. The hitting leaders were Ben Schwefel who was 2-2 on the day with 5 RBI. Alex Anicich also had two hits and also drove in 5 runs for Sierra. Joe Bonfe hit a towering drive to left field into the wind and missed a grand slam by one foot. The Wolverines evened their record at 3 wins and 3 losses on the season.

Sierra 2, West Valley 4

The Vikings and Wolverines met in San Francisco to play this non-conference game at USF. With the field configuration, neither team was expected to put up much offense. The shadows were devastating and the pitchers were in total control. Jake Morton made his first start for Sierra and he allowed 3 runs in two innings. He did work out of a bases loaded 0 out jam and held West Valley scoreless. Unfortunately for Morton and his teammates, the Vikings pitched their ace and he was dominant. After falling behind 4-0 in the 3rd inning, Sierra pitched 5 consecutive scoreless innings. Matt Foat led Sierra with 2 hits on the day. Sierra pitchers allowed only 5 hits on the day and struck out 13 WV hitters. In the end, West Valley executed better pitches and won the game by the score of 4-2.

Sierra 2, San Mateo 3

The weekend series would end on the beautiful field at College of San Mateo. The Bulldogs are 7-time defending conference champions and they played like it today. CSM did not commit an error and out-pitched Sierra in a very close game. Starter Jesse Garcia was shaky at times and dominated the Bulldog hitters at other times. The Wolverine bullpen was once again solid in holding San Mateo to only two runs over 6 innings. Sierra had the leadoff hitter on base 7 of the 9 innings, but could only muster 2 runs on the day. Joe Bonfe led the offense for Sierra with 2 hits. The game was tied entering the bottom of the 8th inning when CSM scored the winning run after a leadoff walk would come around to score. Final score San Mateo 3 and Sierra 2.

Sierrra 4, Chabot 6

The Wolverines faced another 2008 playoff opponent in Chabot College. Sierra defeated the Gladiators twice in last year’s Super Regional to advance to the State Championship. This year was different. For a January game, it had the feel of playoff intensity. Sophomore Ryan Guzman was back on the mound after two years off due to arm surgery. He was very good. Sierra scored first on Matt Foat’s first college HR to left field. Sierra took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the 7th inning but surrendered 2 runs as the Gladiators hit a one out 2-run HR to take the lead. Chabot threw three power-armed lefties and they proved too much for the Wolverine offense. Chabot won the game by the score of 6-4 handing Sierra its first defeat of the season.

Sierra 11, Skyline 3

Sierra traveled to San Bruno to face off against their 2008 first round state playoff opponent, the Skyline Trojans. Both teams sent their aces to the mound. Sierra trailed 3-1 after 5 innings but erupted for 10 runs over the next three innings. The big hits came from Joe Bonfe as he homered and tripled. Chris Cottingham also homered for Sierra and Ben Schwefel doubled and singled. On the mound, starter Jeremy Cole was average and he was backed up by great bullpen work. Mike Garber pitched 2 scoreless innings to earn his first college victory.

Sierra 6, Los Medanos 0

Batteries:
WP: Morton
SAVE:
LP: Vink
Top Performers:

The Sierra College baseball team began their defense of their 2008 state championship on this sunny and cold Tuesday afternoon in Rocklin. The Wolverines would use 9 different pitchers versus the Mustangs of Los Medanos College. All 9 pitchers threw shutout innings as Sierra shutout LMC by the score of 6-0. Jake Morton earned the win for Sierra which was his first college victory. On offense the Wolverines were led by Sam Montgomery who had 2 hits and drove in the first run for Sierra. Sierra will travel to the bay area for three games this weekend vs. Skyline College on Thursday, Chabot College on Friday and College of San Mateo on Saturday.