In a walk-heavy game, the Cosumnes River College baseball team pulled out a close win against the American River College Beavers on April 27. The final score was 4-3, with both teams fighting hard right up to the ninth inning.

In the low-scoring game, much of the outcome was decided by defense. CRC Head Coach Tony Bloomfield said he felt good about his team’s ability to win the game, especially after their earlier win against the Beavers at ARC on April 25.

“We don’t worry about the opponent,” Bloomfield said. “We’re just trying to play the game.”

The Hawks’ pitching was integral to their victory. Sophomore pitcher Steven Talbert pitched strong for seven innings, followed by sophomore pitcher Thomas Galart for the last two. Talbert, in tandem with the rest of the Hawks’ defense, kept the game a shutout until the top of the eighth inning.

“Our guy Talbert struggled early, then pitched really well,” Bloomfield said. “He kept them from scoring for seven innings, battled through it and pitched really well.”

Talbert threw 102 pitches for the game. He said that he was worn out by the seventh inning, but he pushed through it for his team.

“It felt good. I got a little tired there at the end,” Talbert said. “My command was a little off, but I managed my off-speed [pitches]; it kind of saved me.”

The Beavers’ handed the Hawks plenty of opportunities with walks, but the Hawks couldn’t capitalize on the free passes, leaving 10 runners on base overall for the game.

The Hawks’ scoring for the game was stretched out across the innings. Sophomore infielder Trevor Ray scored one run early for the Hawks in the first inning. They didn’t score again until the bottom of the fifth, when freshman catcher John Treat advanced home from third base off a wild pitch.

The Hawks scored again in the bottom of the seventh when sophomore shortstop Brett Bloomfield scored on an error by the Beavers’ second baseman.

The Beavers doubled in the top of the eighth, which led to their first run of the game. This brought the score to 3-1.

Sophomore center fielder Peyton Wheatley scored the last run for the Hawks in the bottom of the eighth off another wild pitch.

In the top of the ninth, the Beavers singled and later stole second base, putting them in a position to score. Then, a two-run home run was hit, bringing the score to 4-3. The Hawks responded to this close call by getting the next two batters out to end the game.

Moving on to the playoffs, Brett Bloomfield said that he believes the team’s experience will prove useful.

“I know this team can hit,” Brett Bloomfield said. “We have a lot of sophomores and a lot of guys experienced with playoffs, so I’m not really too worried on that side.”