Baseball: Roadrunners hang on for 8-7 win over Victor Valley

Rio Hondo College second baseman Marcos Rivas went 4 for 5 while Lucas Rocha and Nick Ybarra each collected three hits in an 8-7 Roadrunners win over visiting Victor Valley College on Tuesday in Whittier.

The non-conference victory improved Rio Hondo to 6-7 overall.

The Roadrunners exploded for 14 hits in the contest and set the tone early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ybarra's two-run single that scored Rivas and Rocha was the big hit in the frame.

Victor Valley responded with a pair of runs in the second and third innings to go ahead 4-2. But the Roadrunners went ahead for good in the bottom of the third with two runs of their own. Ybarra scored on a wild pitch and Rivas singled to drive in Aiden Gutierrez.

The Roadrunners put up three runs in the fifth that proved to be crucial. Rivas singled to score Gutierrez again, Rocha smacked a RBI double, and an error allowed Rocha to score to put Rio Hondo up 8-4.

Victor Valley didn't go down easy. The Rams rallied for three runs in the seventh to cut the Rio Hondo lead to just one, but Jaymes Gadd escaped without surrendering the lead by striking out Jared Hudson to close out the frame.

Andres Hurtado earned the win in relief to improve to 2-1. He tossed a scoreless fifth inning. Andy Garcia earned his second save as he closed out the win throwing the final two innings. He struck out four.

Rio Hondo returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 1) when the Roadrunners open South Coast Conference play with a two-game series vs. Compton College. Thursday's opener at Compton is set for 2 p.m., followed by Saturday's game in Whittier at noon.