Baseball: Jimenez goes the distance in 2-1 Long Beach win over Pasadena

Freshman Omar Jimenez (Lakewood HS) struck out eight batters and scattered five hits over nine innings to lead the Long Beach City College baseball team to a 2-1 South Coast Conference win over visiting Pasadena City College on Saturday at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

Long Beach has now taken the first two games of the three-game conference series and will look for the sweep when the two teams close out the set on Monday in Pasadena.

The victory also keeps the Vikings on top on the SCC standings at 6-2 and improved their overall record to 11-10.

Jimenez breezed through the beginning of the contest, striking out six of the first 12 batters he faced.

But a leadoff single by PCC's Ahmed Razi, an error by Jimenez on a sacrifice bunt, as well as a balk, led to a RBI groundout by Alex Acevedo to tie the contest 1-1 in the top of the fifth.

But the Vikings answered with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth.

Freshman second baseman Derrick Garcia (Mayfair HS) reached base and advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Mike Vasquez to start the rally. A sacrifice bunt by sophomore first baseman Kenny Uyetake (Los Alamitos HS) moved him to third before a wild pitch by Pasadena starter Kaleb Carter-Allen allowed Garcia to come in to score.

Pasadena (6-12, 3-5) threatened one final time in the top of the ninth. The Lancers had the potential tying run on third base with one out, but Jimenez got Matthew Izumida to pop out to short and Mike Vasquez to ground out to third to end the ball game.

Sophomore centerfielder Joe Lent (Los Alamitos HS) had a RBI single in the third to drive in Uyetake for LBCC's other run. Lent went 2 for 4 to lead the Vikings at the plate.

Jimenez improved to 4-1 overall and dropped his team-leading ERA to 1.89.

 Carter-Allen (1-5) also went the distance in the losing effort for PCC. He allowed two unearned runs and seven hits over eight innings. Jose Serna was 3 for 4 to lead the Pasadena offense.