Huntington Beach, Calif. - The Golden West Baseball team showed no signs of slowing down after increasing their win streak to five games with an errorless 16-3 win over West LA at Hoover Field on Friday. This win improved the Rustlers' record to 11-4 with one game left until Orange Empire Conference play begins.
Four was the magic number for the Rustlers in Friday's game, putting up fours in the first, third and fourth inning. Not to mention the star of the game, right fielder Dylan Kordic, sports the number four on the back of his jersey and recorded his fourth home run of the season.
Kordic led the Rustler offense going 3-for-3 at the plate. Kordic smashed a ball over the center field wall in the bottom of the first inning to score two runs. Kordic went on to hit a pair of base hits in the third and fifth and showed his patience in the box reaching on balls in the fourth and sixth inning. Kordic ended the day with two RBIs and accounted for 4 of the 16 runs scored.
Shortstop Rocco Caballero was 2-for-3 with a double, one run, an RBI, and a walk. First baseman Nathan Beckley had a day, going 4-for-5 with a double, RBI, and a stolen base. Catcher Dylan Taguiam hit a double and a single that him earned two RBIs.
The extensive lead allowed for more movement off the bench for the Rustlers before they open OEC conference play at the defending CCCAA State Champions Riverside City College on Tuesday.
Gavin Viano entered the game at shortstop, Viano went 2-for-3, reached home twice and earned his first stolen base of the season.
A struggling Dominic Porter came off the bench to bat in the five spot and had some success in the box with one hit. He recorded two RBIs on a double to left center in the fourth inning to score Kordic and Viano.
The Rustlers saw just two batters strikeout in this game: Porter and Taguiam. The quality at-bats and clean fielding has the Rustlers in strong shape as a season full of highly competitive opponents starts in four days.
By the end of the fifth inning, Golden West had seen two West LA pitchers and scored 15 runs while only allowing one run from the West LA offense. They added their last run of the game on the board in the seventh inning with an RBI single to center field by Kyle Roeder.
Starting pitcher JD Rodriguez struck out three, walked one, and allowed one hit through two innings. Grant Faris followed in the third, walking one and punching out two batters. Matt Gaunt had a two inning outing, allowing two hits, one earned run, and led the Rustler pitching staff with five strikeouts.
Jack Smith silenced the West LA dugout with four strikeouts through the sixth and seventh inning. Tyler Prystjako had the hardest time out on the mound for the Rustlers, struggling to locate pitches and record outs. He saw six batters in the eighth inning, giving up two runs, three walks, and two strikeouts. Ryan Leonardo closed out the game for the Rustlers with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out one.
The Rustlers are set to play Bakersfield at home on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game was originally moved from Feb. 25 due to inclement weather conditions.
Written By: Marissa Lavezzari
