Warriors Fall to L.A. Mission in Slugfest

TORRANCE, Calif. – In a game that had to be called due to darkness and featured nine combined pitchers, El Camino College came up just short in a 13-11 non-conference loss to L.A. Mission Friday afternoon at Warrior Field.

The Warriors (2-3) and Eagles (4-1) combined for 24 runs on 26 hits with each team committing four errors. The Eagles needed six pitchers to get through the ballgame with no hurler tossing more than two complete innings. Luke Latorre picked up his first win of the season, tossing an inning and 1/3 of scoreless relief, the only pitcher on either side to not allow a run in more than one inning of work.

For the Warriors, Nathan Draves took the tough loss despite going four innings in relief. He allowed three earned runs on three hits, two of those coming on solo home runs in the top of the eighth that proved to be the difference.

The Warriors fell in a hole early as the Eagles plated three runs off starter Trevor Talpas in the top of the first. But ECC quickly responded with three in their half of the first, capped off by a two-run home run from Matthew Beserra to tie things up 3-3.

The Eagles kept surging though, scoring twice in the second and then capitalizing on three Warriors errors in the third to bring across five and take a 10-3 advantage.

The Warriors did not quit though, scrapping back in a long game that took three hours and 22 minutes. They got four runs back in their half of the fourth inning and, after the Eagles tacked on a run in the fifth, ECC scored four unanswered runs to come all the way back and tie things up at 11-11.

With daylight running out, the eighth inning began with Draves getting Gabriel Gonzalez to fly out. But catcher Cade Spurlin put the Eagles back up with a home run to left-center field and then, with two outs, Mac Lomas added insurance with a towering bomb to left field, giving the Eagles the 13-11 lead.

The Warriors had one more chance as Diego Alarcon drew a one-out walk to bring the game-tying run to the plate. But Latorre got Jordan Folgers to fly out and then froze Beserra on a called strike three to end the frame. Overall, the Warriors stranded 14 runners on base while the Eagles left seven.

Following the inning, the umpires and coaches met and called the game due to darkness, giving the Eagles the victory.

The Warriors will take a few days off before hitting the road for a three-game set at Bakersfield beginning on Thursday night at 6 p.m.