The Bakersfield College baseball team jumped out to a big lead before holding on for an 11-10 victory over Western State Conference leader LA Mission College on Thursday.
The Renegades scored two or more runs in each of the first four innings and then tacked on one more in the fifth en route to a 10-3 advantage over the visiting Eagles.
It almost wasn't enough as LA Mission (16-8, 5-2 WSC) mounted a spirited comeback only to fall short, the difference in the game being a seventh inning RBI single by BC's Zach Williams.
Williams was 2 for 3 with two walks, three RBI, and two runs scored. The 6-foot-1 freshman first baseman from Liberty High School knocked in the Renegades final two runs of the game.
In the fifth inning Williams hit a towering shot over the left field fence for his first home run of the year.
Frankie Villasenor started on the mound for BC (9-14, 4-3 WSC) and got the win, the Renegades third in their last four games. The freshman right-hander from Oxnard pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks while registering three strikeouts.
Nathan Ortiz, normally a starting pitcher, came in to the game with the tying runner on base and one out in the ninth and nailed down the game by retiring both batters he faced.
Ortiz clinched his second save of the year by fanning LA Mission designated hitter Nathan Casillas looking to end the game.
"It was a big a win," BC coach Tim Painton said. "Villasenor, in a spot-start did a great job for us. Gave us an opportunity to puts some runs on the board. They're a good ballclub. We knew they we're going to quit. We earned 27 outs to get that done."
The Renegades' offensive attack amassed 14 hits and four walks against six Eagles' pitchers.
Leadoff hitter Tim Billingsley was 3- for 4 with 1 RBI and one run scored.
Ashanti Ross, Joe Pineda, and Carson Watson, along with Williams each had two hits each.
Andrew Scheinert knocked in five runs for LA Mission, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.
"We're just happy to get out of here with a win today," Painton said.
The Renegades are on the road today at LA Pierce and tomorrow at LA Mission for a 12:00 PM game.