Baseball: Roadrunners get back on track with win vs. Cerro Coso

Rio Hondo College bounced back from a narrow loss on Saturday with a 13-8 Foothill Conference victory over visiting Cerro Coso College on Tuesday. The come-from-behind win improved the Roadrunners to 7-8 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Rio Hondo banged out a season-high 16 hits in the contest, getting a big 4 for 4 day at the plate from R.J. Romo. He also had 2 RBI and scored twice.

But it was Cerro Coso (10-5, 2-2 FC) that got things going offensive first. The Coyotes jumped out in front with a five-run, first-inning. They tacked on a run in the third and fourth to take a 7-0 advantage before The Roadrunners' bats came alive. Rio Hondo scored all 13 runs over the next four innings to take control of the ball game.

Rio Hondo scored three runs in the fourth thanks to a pair of wild pitches and a RBI single by Albert Perez. The Roadrunners rallied to tie the game in the fifth by adding four more runs. Mike Hernandez's sacrifice fly scored Gabe Chavez before Jordan Abernathy delivered the biggest blow of the game, a two-run home run to get Rio Hondo within one. With two outs, Randy Buenrostro doubled to drive in Romo with the tying run.

The Roadrunners went ahead in the sixth thanks to Romo's sacrifice fly that scored Mauricio Guadarrama. Rio Hondo put the game out of reach five runs in the seventh. Romo closed out that rally with a RBI double to drive in Hernandez with the game's final run.

Chavez also had a good game at the plate for the Roadrunners, as he went 3 for 6 with two runs and a RBI. Guadarrama (2 for 5, 3 runs, 1 RBI), Buenrostro (2 for 5, 1 RBI), and Perez (2 for 3, 1 RBI) all had two hits. Abernathy drove in three runs and went 1 for 2 with two runs.

Avery Vasquez picked up the win in relief for the Roadrunners to improve to 2-1 overall. He allowed a run and a hit in the go-ahead seventh inning.

Rio Hondo returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 10) when the Roadrunners travel to Chaffey College for a 2 p.m. Foothill Conference game.