The Porterville College baseball team continued its recent hot streak with a 6-2 victory over previously undefeated Folsom Lake College on Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Chris Blanco (2-0) pitched seven strong innings, and the Pirates took full advantage of five Falcons errors as PC extended its winning streak to three games.<\/p>\n
With the win the Pirates improved to 5-1 at home this season and 5-3 overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big part of our story this year is we\u2019ve had so many freshmen step up and make big plays and contribute to the team,\u201d Porterville coach J.L. Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
Blanco allowed two runs, both unearned, in seven innings pitched against Folsom Lake (4-1).<\/p>\n
The 5-foot-10 freshman righthander from Denver gave up just four hits and issued three walks during his stellar 115-pitch performance. Blanco hasn\u2019t allowed an earned run in 14 innings pitched this season. He was named NorCal Pitcher of the Week last week after hurling a seven-inning shutout against Diablo Valley College.<\/p>\n
\u201cChris is just an ultimate competitor,\u201d Buchanan said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of just built into him. Competing and staying in the moment and things like that come really easy to Chris. That is one thing that plays a role in his success, but Chris also has a slider that gets up to 3,000 RPM and he\u2019s been really successful this season by challenging hitters to do something with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The region\u2019s reigning Player of the Week, Josh Myers, reached base four times in five plate appearances and scored a run for the Pirates, who plated a pair of runs in the second inning and two more in the third to build an early 4-0 lead over Folsom Lake. PC maintained a comfortable cushion the rest of the way.<\/p>\n
Myers, a freshman designated hitter from Idaho Falls, currently is tied for the state lead in home runs with four.<\/p>\n
He leads the state in extra base hits (8), and total bases (30) and ranks tied for second in RBI (13) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (7).<\/p>\n
Myers, who was recently moved from the middle of the batting order to the leadoff spot by Buchanan, is batting\u00a0.464 with a .556 on base percentage and 1.071 slugging percentage.<\/p>\n
\u201cJosh is one of the most gifted athletes we\u2019ve ever had in the program,\u201d Buchanan said. \u201cHe\u2019s about as physical as it gets for this level. What\u2019s nice about Josh compared to most power hitters is that it\u2019s really tough to pitch around him because if you want to walk him or hit him, he\u2019s going to steal second and third on you most of the time. That\u2019s something that\u2019s pretty rare now-a-days, a guy who can consistently hit the ball out (of the park) to centerfield and run a 6.4 (seconds) 60.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0The Pirates have had several other players contribute greatly to the team\u2019s early success, including freshman pitcher Ethan Chavez. The lefty has a 1.86 earned run average and a save in 9 2\/3 inning pitched this season.<\/p>\n
Team pitching ace, Louie Torres, a Fresno State signee, is 1-1 in two starts.<\/p>\n
The Pirates are loaded with talent all around the diamond, giving Buchanan much optimism about how the rest of the season will play out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited with the start we\u2019re having and the direction we\u2019re going in right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Pirates return to action today with a home game against Cerro Coso. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.<\/p>\n
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