WHITTIER --- Rio Hondo College continued its solid start to the 2022 season with a narrow 4-3 win over visiting East Los Angeles College on Thursday in the second game of a three-game South Coast Conference series.
The Roadrunners jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after Josep Angulo smacked a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning and Nolan Anguiano doubled home a run in the second.
Starting pitcher David Medrano was cruising until running into trouble in the sixth inning. East Los Angeles took advantage of a two-out Rio Hondo error to score three runs (one earned) and tie up the ball game.
But the Roadrunners manufactured the eventual game-winning run in the seventh. Gabriel Rico and Rafael Flores hit back-to-back singles to open the frame. After a fielder's choice, Angulo was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. That was followed by another hit by pitch to Jordan Salgado that forced in Flores for the go-ahead score.
Johnathan Siwiecki earned the win in relief with a scoreless seventh and Matt Herrera closed out the game with two scoreless inning to pick up the save.
Rico (2 for 4, run), Joshua Perez (2 for 3, run), and Anguiano (2 for 3, RBI) all had two hits each for Rio Hondo.
The Roadrunners evened up the series and their conference record at 1-1. The two squads wrap up the three-game set on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Monterey Park.