It was another big day in the batter's box for the Rio Hondo College baseball team. Coming off a 12-hit, 10-run game in their season opener on Friday, the Roadrunners exploded for 20 hits in a 15-3 victory at Antelope Valley College on Saturday in Lancaster.
Catcher Jesus Maldonado accounted for a quarter of those hits, going a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate with a double and RBI to lead Rio Hondo. Ricky Akles (3 for 6) and Charles Sousamian (2 for 4) continued their hot hitting from the day before by driving in three runs each.
Rio Hondo actually trailed early and was down 3-2 after three innings. But the Roadrunners went ahead for good with a four-run, fourth-inning rally. Rio Hondo sent nine batters to the plate while Maldonado came through with a RBI double and Sousamian delivered a two-run single.
Now leading 6-3, the Roadrunners blew the game open by surging for seven runs in the fifth. Diego Perez laced a two-run single while Matt Hickman hit a RBI double as part of the six-hit inning.
Robert Valdez picked up the win in relief with a perfect 1 1/3 innings. He pitched the Roadrunners out of a jam in the third and tossed a scoreless fourth. Abe Carrillo, Nick Acedo, Evan Foor, Eric Amaya, and Josh Yorba all combined to blank Antelope Valley the rest of the ball game.
Other standouts at the plate for Rio Hondo included Diego Flores (3 for 4, 3 runs, 1 RBI) and Justyn Duran (2 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 runs).
Rio Hondo, now 2-0 overall, returns to action on Tuesday (Jan. 28) when the Roadrunners host Victor Valley College in a 2 p.m. game.