The Reedley College baseball team experienced a week of razor-thin margins, offensive bursts, and strong pitching performances, splitting a two-game set with Modesto before doing the same against Bakersfield in Central Valley Conference action.
Reedley Edges Modesto in Pitcher's Duel
Reedley opened the series on March 10 with a gritty 2–1 victory over Modesto in a game dominated by pitching.
Right-hander Reece Van Alen set the tone early, striking out nine over six shutout innings while allowing just two hits. The bullpen trio of Kaden Welch, Austin Salado, and Giovanni Groppetti preserved the lead, with Groppetti earning the save despite a ninth-inning run.
Offensively, Reedley manufactured just enough scoring. Eli Garay crossed the plate in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Dom DeCanio, and Garay later delivered an RBI single in the fourth to score Owen Lindstrom for what proved to be the game-winning run.
Modesto threatened late but managed only two hits on the day, striking out 13 times against Reedley pitching.
Modesto Responds Behind Seventh-Inning Surge
Two days later, Modesto flipped the script with a 4–2 win at Reedley.
After trading early runs, the game remained tied until the seventh inning, when Modesto broke through against Reedley reliever Case Anker. A string of timely hits and disciplined at-bats led to three runs in the frame, highlighted by RBI contributions from Adam Alharbi, Ryan Silva, and Troy Morrow.
Modesto's offense totaled 12 hits, led by a perfect 3-for-3 performance from Carlos Guizar and three hits from Caden Reeve.
Reedley collected 10 hits of its own, including multi-hit efforts from Andrew Mora, Ayden Oliveras, and Owen Lindstrom, but struggled to capitalize fully. An RBI double by Oliveras in the eighth brought the Tigers within two, but they could not complete the comeback.
Chase Knight earned the win in relief for Modesto, tossing five steady innings.
Bakersfield Powers Past Reedley
Reedley then traveled to Bakersfield on March 17 and ran into a power surge, falling 6–2.
Bakersfield struck early with back-to-back home runs in the first inning from Landon McDonald and Brady Baird, quickly building a 3–0 lead. They added two more runs in the third to extend the margin to five.
Reedley managed just three hits in the game but took advantage of walks and a balk to score twice in the sixth inning. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Van Alen took the loss despite six strikeouts, while Bakersfield starter Jacob Berumen limited Reedley to one hit over six innings.
Tigers Bounce Back with Offensive Explosion
Reedley responded emphatically on March 19, defeating Bakersfield 7–1 at home.
Andrew Mora led the charge with a dominant performance, blasting two home runs and driving in five runs, including a grand slam during a five-run fourth inning that broke the game open.
Ricky Simental contributed an RBI, while Marc-Anthony Carroll added two hits and a run driven in as Reedley capitalized on nine walks to keep constant pressure on Bakersfield pitching.
On the mound, Mark Huarte delivered six strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out seven. The bullpen duo of Case Anker and Giovanni Groppetti closed out the game effectively.
Looking Ahead
The stretch showcased Reedley's ability to win tight, low-scoring games as well as produce explosive offense when needed. Consistency at the plate remains a key focus, but strong pitching performances continue to give the Tigers a chance in every matchup.
With the conference schedule heating up, Reedley will look to build momentum from its bounce-back win and carry it into the next Central Valley Conference series vs Taft and Fresno City over the next two weeks.
