Strong pitching performance by Chabot fuels Tigers win

For most of the season Riverside City College's bats had carried them to a winning record, however it was starting pitcher Matt Chabot who shut down the Cypress College Chargers (10-6, 3-2 OEC) on Saturday afternoon in a 7-2 Tigers victory at Evans Field in Riverside.

In Chabot's last performance against Saddleback College he struggled with his command, hitting four batters and allowing five earned runs while lasting only 4.1 innings. Against Cypress however Chabot (2-1) pitched the Tigers (11-7, 4-1 OEC) first complete game of the season allowing only one earned run scattered among four hits for a Chargers team that was unable to do much more than ground out to Tigers shortstop David Kiriakos for most of the game. Chabot credited an altered delivery to his impressive performance.

The Tigers offense made several contributions of their own to the impressive win hanging seven runs, six of them earned, on the aptly named Chargers starter Travis Pitcher (1-1).

Right fielder Cade Gotta set the pace early for the Tigers with a triple in the top of the first inning driving Michael Castello, Chad Erickson, and Kiriakos in to score.

The Tigers would continue their assault on the Chargers in the second and third innings as well scoring two runs in each. The scoring was highlighted by a thrilling play in which Tigers center fielder Aaron LaFountaine stole home in one of the more exciting moments of RCC’s season thus far.

LaFountaine continued his surge that began with onset of conference play with three hits in his four plate appearances as well as scoring a run in addition to the aforementioned steal of home. LaFountaine credits his success to seeing the ball better at the plate.

The Tigers next game will be against the Hornets of Fullerton College on March 15 at 2 p.m.