By Rick Assad
It’s truly rare when a team scores in every inning, but that’s exactly what the Providence High baseball team did in a Prep League match versus Rio Hondo Prep.
The Pioneers outhit the Kares 8-4 and outpitched them and, in the process, took out the visitors 8-2 at Schafer Field at Ralph Foy Park on a chilly and windy Tuesday afternoon.
Providence (6-2 and 2-2 in league) used three key hits to their advantage, scoring three of the eight runs, along with three sacrifice flies, a run batted in grounder and a bases loaded hit by pitch RBI.
Providence coach Mando Contreras, who said before the game that his team’s strengths are base stealing and defense, selected three pitchers to work the game.
All three were effective including sophomore Sutton Frost, who was the middle pitcher, working three innings with one hit allowed, four hit batters, striking out seven and two walks issued.
Solid on the mound and perhaps even better in the batter’s box, Frost drove in three runs and swatted two hits and they included a hard-hit double to left center in the first inning.
Frost’s best at-bat was a leadoff solo homer over the fence in left field in the third frame that made it 4-0.
Frost was hit by a pitched ball in the fourth inning and the bases filled that made it 5-0 and later delivered a run-scoring grounder in the sixth inning for an 8-2 edge.
Junior Nikoli Ocampo banged out a leadoff single to center field in the first inning.
Ocampo added a sacrifice fly to right field in the second inning for a 3-0 lead and later tossed in a base hit in the sixth.
Sophomore Adrian Contreras chimed in with an infield hit in the third inning and added an RBI single to left field in the sixth that made it 7-2.
Junior Andrew Malong contributed a run-tallying infield single in the second inning that made it 2-0.
Senior Connor Cafferty contributed a run-scoring fly to left field in the first inning as the Pioneers moved ahead 1-0.
Junior Garrett Barnes belted a sacrifice fly to center field in the fifth inning as Providence took charge 6-0.
Contreras was the starting pitcher and was credited with the win after working three innings while yielding two hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
Senior Saxon Bilodeaux was the third Pioneer hurler and toured one inning, the seventh, giving up one hit with one strikeout and one walk.
Rio Hondo Prep (4-8 and 2-5 in league) scored both of its runs in the top of the sixth inning as Calogero Chico walked with the bases filled that trimmed the margin to 6-1.
Elijah Gavia started the frame with a deep double to center field and was replaced on the base paths with a pinch runner, Anthony Hernandez.
Nate Curtis was nicked with an offering and the bases jammed for a four-run deficit.
Hernandez was the Kares’ starting pitcher and went four innings, surrendering five hits, with two hit batters, three walks and two strikeouts.
Alex Mustain worked two frames, hit a batter and gave up three hits.
