Long Beach City College scored a total of 18 hits, led by designated hitter AJ Quezada’s 4-4 day in the Vikings’ 16-8 victory over Rio Hondo.
Quezada kept his hot start to the season going with a two-double performance while also driving in two runs.
“I just had to hit the ball hard somewhere and hope it falls. Baseball is a game of failure, so 4-4 is definitely something to be proud of and something to work towards,” Quezada said.
Through the first 16 games of the season, Quezada has been outstanding at the plate with a .379 batting average with 11 hits, four doubles, and only three strikeouts through 29 plate appearances.
Another key hitter of the game was center fielder Xander McLaurin as the leadoff man went 3-5 including a two-run home run in the seventh inning
“I gotta stay hot and keep doing the same thing. That’s my third bomb in four games so I gotta keep doing what I’m doing,” McLaurin said.
Aside from McLaurin’s three homers in four games, he’s been on an absolute tear so far this season, batting .342 with four home runs, 19 RBI, and eight stolen bases.
LBCC currently stands in first place in the conference with an undefeated 4-0 conference record and an outstanding 13-3 overall record.
This game also marks four out of the last five games with ten or more runs scored, making LBCC a scary opponent when the team steps up to the plate.
“We can hit, we’ve hit all year, and that’s a big win for us. The pitcher they (Rio Hondo) started has won every game he’s pitched in our conference, so when we beat their best guy when other teams didn’t, it gives us a jump on the conference standings,” Vikings head coach Casey Crook said.
The Vikings will look to continue their hot streak as they face L.A. Harbor in an away game on Tuesday.