An early season matchup between a pair of teams that had not yet lost in Coast Conference play went the way of the visitors, as Canada College outlasted Gavilan in a high-scoring affair, 14-12, on Tuesday in Gilroy.
Despite the loss, Rams’ manager Neal Andrade had some good news, too. For the second time in nine seasons, Gavilan, which is off to a 9-6 start overall and 2-1 in conference, has slipped into the top-20 of the Northern California Coaches’ Poll at No. 18.
On Tuesday, the Rams weathered a Colts’ seven-run second inning and overcame a 9-1 deficit through three-plus innings with a nine-run outburst in the bottom of the third.
But the Colts scored five more runs over the next three innings, while the Rams, though out-hitting Canada 14-10, tallied once in each the sixth and eighth innings to fall just shy.
Julio Cortez went 3 of 3 with two RBIs, Kenny Hall had two hits and three RBIs, Lyell Marks produced a pair of hits and two RBIs, and Brian Bradley’s lone hit was a third inning, bases-clearing triple.
Both teams left 10 runners on base. In the Colts’ seven-run second, four of those runs came via either walk or a hit batsmen. Rams pitchers surrendered nine walks.
Gavilan will hit the road to rebound Thursday at City College of San Francisco. The two teams split a home-and-home series last month during preseason action. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
