ROCKLIN -- On a day with split opponents, the Feather River College baseball team earned a split of games with a win over San Mateo and a loss to Sierra on Friday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles return home with a 7-3 overall record. They have the weekend off before embarking on a longer road trip next week with games at Mendocino on Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 14-15), at Laney on Friday (Feb. 16), and at San Mateo on Saturday (Feb. 17).
SIERRA 4, FEATHER RIVER 2
For the second day in a row, the Wolverines had FRC's number.
Sierra held the Golden Eagles to a scattered five hits, and the visitors couldn't get on the scoreboard until the ninth. Earlier, Golden Eagles starter Kyle Giovannoni was in a groove on the mound until Sierra's Cowen Meyer broke open a scoreless game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. Giovannoni left after 4.2 innings of work, having struck out six and allowing only four hits.
But the Wolverines added one more run in the sixth and another in the eighth, taking a 4-0 lead into the ninth. FRC put together a rally in the top of the ninth via three hit batters, a walk and a balk to plate two runs, but a ground out ended the game with the tying run on second.
The Golden Eagles had five hits by five different players.
FEATHER RIVER 7, SAN MATEO 4
The Golden Eagles stayed on the same field and got back on the winning track with a victory over San Mateo.
Four pitchers toed the rubber for the Golden Eagles and four different players contributed hits in the non-conference win. Freshman Will Page-Allen, tossed the final 2.2 innings without giving up a hit while fanning three to pick up his second win of the season.
FRC scored twice in the first and second innings to set the tone. In the first, Andrew Lehmann singled and Dylan Marx was hit by a pitch before both scored on a throwing error by the Bulldogs catcher. In the second Jared Stevenson hit a lead off double, moved to third on a single by Reed Alexander and scored on an RBI bunt by Grant McGuire. Later in the second Alexander would come around to score on a throwing error by the San Mateo shortstop.
The Bulldogs would come back to tie the game at 4 in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh the Golden Eagles were able to scratch across three runs, courtesy of five walks, a sac bunt, and a single by Kolt Kurzman.
After Feather River's road trip next week, they will open Golden Valley Conference play on February 23-24 with a three game series vs. Lassen College.
