Tigers win 4 of last 6 games in adverse wet conditions.

Reedley College won two of the three baseball games last week with the College of the Sequoias Giants.

But the outcomes left the two teams tied for second place in the Central Valley Conference with identical records of 5-4 in conference play and 11-11 overall.

Reedley rolled to an 11-0 win on March 11 in Reedley before pulling out a 7-5 win last Wednesfay in Visalia. Rain delayed the series finale to Sunday afternoon when Sequoias won by a 9-4 score.

In the first game in Reedley on March 18, Reedley's Francisco Espejo worked out of jams with in the first four innings before Reedley exploded for six runs in the fifth. Espejo worked the first seven lnnings as he improved to 4-0. The southpaw also leads the conference in earned run average to 1.48.

The Tigers closed out the scoring with five runs in the eighth. Mark Anthony Carroll had two hits to raise his CVC leading batting average to .393.

In the Wednesday win, Kaden Welch pitched three and two third innings of hitless ball with three strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Sanger High grad Ricky Simentel returned from a concussion to contribute three hits and also scored the goahead run. Carroll had four hits and Caeden Chavez had three in a 17-hit attack.

End of an Era for Former TIger

In the Sunday finale, Reedley was held to five hits as the college recognized COS head coach Jody Allen, who is retiring at the end of this season after 32 years as the Giants' head coach.

After the game, Allen was asked what his best memory of Reedley is. "I have so many. I love Jack Hacker, recruiting me and playing here. The years that I had here were very memorable. I learned a kot of baseball and really appreciate everything that Jack taught me. It was the beginning of my coaching career and that kind of fostered into a lot of it. A lot of good memories."

Allen was named Tiger Male Athlete of the Year in 1984. Along with Pearce, he helped guide Fresno State to two Pacific Coast Athletic Association Championships and was the team captain in 1984.

Allen became head coach at COS in 1084 and in his 32 years as head coach, the Giants have accumulated over 750 wins.

Reedley and Bakersfield Split Two-Game Series

March 18, 2025 – Reedley at Bakersfield (6-9)
In a hard-fought game, Bakersfield came from behind to defeat Reedley 9-6 in the first of a two-game series. The game saw plenty of action across the board, with Bakersfield managing to overcome an early deficit and capitalize on key hits in the middle innings.

Reedley got off to a strong start, scoring three runs in the first inning. Andrew Mora brought in a run with a single, followed by a two-RBI double from Jonathan Callison, making it 3-0. The lead extended to 4-0 in the second inning when Ricky Simental's RBI single scored Kam Bowen.

However, Bakersfield quickly responded. After a quiet first few innings, the home team exploded in the fourth, scoring three runs to narrow the gap. Hudson Reynolds' single and Anthony Nunez's double helped push the score to 4-3. The game remained tight, but Bakersfield was able to tie things up in the sixth, and then take the lead for good in the seventh with a dramatic three-run home run by Isaac Torres, which gave them an 8-5 lead.

Bakersfield's pitching was a key factor, with Ryan Morales (3-1) earning the win after six innings of work, allowing five earned runs and striking out one. Tony Fabian picked up the win in relief, and Kaleb Pinedo closed out the game for his fifth save. Reedley's Francisco Espejo (2-2) started but was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on ten hits in six innings.

Key Performers:

• Reedley: Jonathan Callison went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Kam Bowen added a pair of hits and two RBIs.
• Bakersfield: Isaac Torres provided the big blast with a three-run homer, and Hudson Reynolds contributed with three hits and two RBIs.

March 19, 2025 – Bakersfield at Reedley (2-7)
In the second game of the series, Reedley bounced back in impressive fashion, securing a 7-2 victory to split the series. Reedley's pitching staff was stellar, with nine different pitchers contributing to the win.

The game started with Reedley jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to an RBI single by Kam Bowen and an RBI hit-by-pitch on Owen Lindstrom. The team added another run in the second when Mark-Anthony Carroll's sacrifice fly scored Caeden Chavez, giving Reedley a 3-0 lead.

Bakersfield got one back in the third, with Trent Martin driving in a run, but Reedley responded immediately. Jonathan Callison hit a solo homer in the third inning, and Reedley added three more unearned runs off errors and defensive lapses by Bakersfield, making the score 6-1.

In the fifth, Reedley's Ricky Simental added a double to score Eli Garay, giving Reedley a 7-1 lead. Bakersfield managed to add one more run in the eighth, with Ben Ullyott's double scoring Martin, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback.

Reedley's pitching was dominant, with Nick Ohman, Jesus Cerda, and Nathan Medina each tossing a scoreless inning. Joe Morales (1-0) earned the win with a perfect inning of relief, while the pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts and allowed just two runs on seven hits.

Key Performers:

• Reedley: Ricky Simental had a pair of hits and an RBI, while Jonathan Callison provided the power with a homer.
• Bakersfield: Trent Martin was a bright spot for Bakersfield, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Despite a solid performance from the pitching staff, Bakersfield struggled to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

The split in the series leaves both teams with mixed records. Reedley improves to 12-12 overall, with a solid 5-4 record in conference play, while Bakersfield falls to 11-10, sitting at 2-4 in the conference. Both teams will look to regroup and build momentum as they continue their season.