The Fullerton College baseball team overcame six errors and picked up their third consecutive game to win to start the season with a 6-5 win over Grossmont in 12 innings.
John Orlando led off the 12th inning with a single to center field and then stole second base. Dakota Wix flew out to right field and got Orlando over to third base.
Grossmont’s pitcher, Zachary Ambrose intentionally walked Nick Gotta and KC Huth to load the bases and have the force out at any base. Rojas then came in with the bases loaded and poked the ball in between the shortstop and third baseman for the walk off single.
“I was 0-4 up until that point but I was just ready for that moment,” Rojas said. “Coach always tells us that every at bat is a new one and I just went up their trying to get it through the infielders.”
The winning pitcher for the Hornets was Austin Sweet, who pitched two innings of no-hit baseball with a strikeout and a walk. He is 1-0 on the season.
The Hornet (3-0) bullpen pitched seven and two thirds innings and only gave up one run on three hits.
Despite poor defense throughout the game, the Hornets made two timely defensive plays to keep them in the game.
In the top of the eighth with two runners on base and the score tied at 5-5, Grossmont’s Javier Gonzalez hit a blooper into centerfield. Dakota Wix came charging in on the ball and laid out for the diving catch.
Then in the top of the 12th, Orlando, who came in as a defensive replacement in the eighth, made a diving catch in the left centerfield gap to stop the lead off man from getting on base. Wix also went 3-6 with a run in the game.
“Coach always tells us to stay loose when we are on the bench,” Orlando said. “I did that and when my number was called I went in and made the plays.
The Hornets will now take on Southwestern, Thursday, on the road at 2 p.m.
“This team has potential to be special,” said manager Nick Fuscardo. “I have been getting asked if we are going to repeat and make it back to the state finals. It is much too early to say, but what I will say is that this team has a lot of fight in them and will compete day in and day out.”
