Warriors Trounce Compton in Series Opener

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College recorded a season high in runs scored at home in a game in a 22-3 South Coast Conference win over Compton on Tuesday afternoon at Warrior Field.

The Warriors scored 20-plus runs in a game for the third time this season thanks to an explosive 14-run seventh inning that saw ECC bat around twice, sending 18 batters to the plate and recording 12 hits in the inning including three home runs.

The offense pounded out 21 hits overall in the game with seven players recording a multi-hit game. Daniel Craig went 3-for-6 with three runs scored and Lucas Bonham was 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. Jack Nammack, Mason Martinez and Caden Lewis all hit home runs for ECC in the seventh with Martinez and Nammack driving in four RBIs to lead the Warriors.

On the mound, Cameron O'Neil was excellent on the mound as he allowed just one earned run on six hits in seven innings of work. He struck out six without issuing a walk to pick up his seventh win of the year on the bump.

The game was actually close early on but the turning point came in the top of the fourth inning when the Tartars were mounting a rally to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Zaid Humphrey led off the frame with a single and then advanced to second on a passed ball. After a groundout moved Humphrey to third, Deegan Grgas seemingly hit an RBI triple off the wall in deep center field, scoring a run and putting another on third base with just one out.

But the Warriors appealed at second base and it was ruled Grgas failed to touch second base, resulting in the triple reverting to a single and the second out of the frame on the appeal. O'Neil gave up another hit in the inning but the Tartars would not get another runner in scoring position against the Warriors' starter.

The Warriors would score a run in their half of the fourth and four in the fifth to build a comfortable 8-1 lead before the offense went nuclear in the seventh to put the game away.

The teams will return to action on Thursday for game two of the series at Compton with first pitch set for 2 p.m.