Jessie Rooker | Staff Writer | [email protected]
Panthers defeat Modesto in final game of season
City College baseball closed out the season with a three-game series sweep against the Modesto Junior College Pirates. The Panthers took Game 3 April 24 at Union Stadium, 7-4.
Despite the victory, the game was bittersweet for the Panthers. For many of the players this game would be their last, and the emotion on their faces showed it.
Third baseman Tyler Houlihan ended his final season with the Panthers on a humble note — earning four hits, two runs and a number of steals.
“It sucks it came to an end on a sour note,” said Houlihan. “But overall it was satisfying to go out with a bang. I feel really grateful for the past three years. This place changed my life.”
Fueled by emotion and the slightest possibility of still making the playoffs given unlikely circumstances, the Panthers played one of their better games all season. The team scored seven hits on 11 runs with four errors.
The score remained evenly matched throughout the game until the bottom of the sixth when catcher Austin Spainhour hit a two-run double to left field, bringing home both right fielder Kyle Blakeman and pitcher Brandon Langan.
Modesto tied up the game 4-4 in the top of the eighth when first baseman Robert Steves scored on an error by shortstop Anthony Fellman.
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The top of the ninth ended quickly with three consecutive outs, giving City College its final win of the season.
“There was a lot of domination by other teams throughout the season,” said head coach Derek Sullivan. “We underperformed and didn’t play the game often enough or well enough. For most of the season we failed to put all of the phases of baseball together. Not today.”
The Panthers ended the season with an overall 17-19 record and will miss the playoffs for the first time in 35 years.
“We have so much potential and we’ve made so much improvement from the beginning of the season,” said Sullivan. “When you fall short, it hurts.
“This was a big investment of their time. The players put years of their life into this program and now it’s over. It’s a learning experience. They’re all learning about themselves, and they’re doing it through the game of baseball. So, it’s really emotional.”
