Taft Baseball pulls away in seventh to beat Sequoias 6-3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| SEQ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Taft College broke a tie with a three-run seventh inning and went on to beat Sequoias 6-3 on Monday afternoon in Sequoias, turning a close game into a road win with its sharpest stretch at the plate late.
The Cougars scored first in the opening inning when Roberto Madrigal delivered an RBI single that brought home Zaden Kekoa D. Sibal for a 1-0 lead. Sequoias answered in the second on Adan Flores' RBI triple, but Taft regained control in the third when Noah Duran drove a two-run home run to put the Cougars back in front 3-1. Duran finished with one hit, one homer, two RBIs and one run, providing the biggest early swing in Taft's 10-hit afternoon.
Sequoias climbed back even in the fifth. Walker Selley lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jaxon Griffiths, and Xzavier Gonzalez followed with an RBI single that tied the game at 3-3. That rally erased Taft's early edge and put pressure on both pitching staffs heading into the final innings.
Taft responded in the seventh with the decisive sequence. The Cougars pieced together singles and a fielder's choice to produce three runs and restore control at 6-3. Sibal played a central role in the win, finishing with two hits, three runs scored, one RBI and one walk. Landon Angelo also factored into the inning as Taft capitalized on traffic on the bases and finally broke the deadlock.
On the mound, Chase Phillips gave Taft the stability it needed. The right-hander worked 7.0 innings, allowed eight hits and three earned runs, walked two and struck out seven. Sequoias collected nine hits overall and left 10 runners on base, while Taft stranded eight. Hudson Groh kept Sequoias in the game with 6.0 innings of work, allowing three earned runs before the Cougars broke through against the bullpen.
Taft finished with six runs on 10 hits, including one double, one home run and two stolen bases. Sequoias finished with three runs on nine hits. After watching a two-run lead disappear in the fifth, the Cougars answered with the game's defining inning in the seventh and left with a 6-3 victory.
Saturday, April 18, Taft will host Fresno City College at 1:00 pm. Head Coach Vince Maiocco will be celebrated and honored for his retirement at the end of the season. Come on out and join the special celebration.
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