SCC Pitcher Of The Week Cancino Helps Compton Baseball Enter Win Column
Freshman starting pitcher Gabriel Cancino fired eight brilliant innings, allowing just four hits, one unearned run, one walk while striking out seven as the Compton College baseball team snapped a 7-game losing streak to defeat West Los Angeles, 12-4, on Feb. 7.
The Coyotes (1-8 overall) then learned Tuesday that the 6-foot Cancino, from Norwalk, earned CCCBCA's South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 2-8) honors. Cancino blanked West LA over his final seven innings of work, including striking out the side in the fifth inning.
Compton's bats totaled a season high in runs v. the Wildcats, led by first baseman Julian Arellano going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI, designated hitter Matthew Marroquin batting 3-for-4 with three RBI and a stolen base, and third baseman Devin Gomez at 2-for-4 also with three ribbies. Marroquin and Gomez (a double) each had 2-RBI hits when Compton took a 4-1 lead.
Anthony Macias added a pinch-hit 2-run double in the seventh. Centerfielder and leadoff hitter Corey Guy chipped in a triple and a stolen base.
Guy, a sophomore Pre-Season All-American, was 4-for-5 in the team's season-opening, 8-5 loss at Ventura on Jan. 23.
On Jan. 28, Compton gave current state #12 and still undefeated Irvine Valley (8-0) a battle before losing in 12 innings, 7-6, at the MLB RBI Academy diamond.
The Coyotes trailed 6-2, but clawed back to send it to extra innings as catcher Nolan Jackson ripped a game-tying, RBI single with the team down to its final out. Jackson finished 3-for-6. IVC scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly.
Marroquin delivered two RBI doubles in Compton's most recent contest, a 14-4 loss against visiting Imperial Valley on Tuesday. Shortstop David Avitia was 2-for-3.
Utility player Carlos Ramos was leading the conference in batting (.471) but in only 23 plate appearances. Arellano was tied for the SCC lead in doubles with six while batting .393. Guy has a .364 average currently through nine games.
The Coyotes next host #8 Santa Ana on Thursday, Feb. 12 (2 p.m. first pitch), then will begin the SCC, 24-game schedule next week in a 3-game series v. #6 El Camino, the only conference team currently in the state's Home Run 30 Rankings.
