The San Bernardino Valley College baseball team opened its season playing a solid eight innings. It was the ninth that was their undoing.
Los Angeles Mission College scored seven times in the final inning to win the nonconference game 10-1 at San Bernardino Valley College.
Valley found itself down 2-0 going into the bottom of the second, but cut the lead in half thanks to an RBI single by Raymond Andrade that scored Tristen Macias.
Mission extended its lead in the fourth as Gabriel Gonzalez crushed a ball over the netting in left field, giving the Eagles a 3-1 lead.
The Wolverines had a chance to rally in the seventh against Mission starter Jesse Galindo. San Bernardino Valley had runners on second and third, which brought in reliever Jonathan Tyler. Tyler walked the first batter he faced in Creighton Ubides. Coach Bill Miezwik went to his bench, bringing in Koby Glass to pinch hit. Glass hit a hard ground ball right at Nico Valdez at third base, and he went around the horn to Tyler Grissom and Gonzalez for an inning-ending double play.
The wheels came off in the ninth for the Wolverines, with Sam Gray providing the big hit, a bases-clearing double to right-center field. Gray had four RBI in the game.
Macias was the Wolverines' leading hitter, going 2-for-3 with the lone run scored.
Starter Edgardo Gonzalez got the loss, pitching five strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned), striking out four and walking one. Robert Luna pitched three-plus innings in relief, allowing one run , three hits and striking out two.
The two teams will meet again Saturday at Los Angeles Mission.