Taft College Takes Doubleheader from Siskiyous Behind Timely Offense, Strong Starting Pitching

Taft College opened its home series against Siskiyous in convincing fashion, sweeping a Feb. 6 doubleheader at Cougar Field with a 7-3 win in Game 1 and a 7-2 victory in Game 2. The Cougars used decisive late-inning rallies in both contests and received quality starts from right-handers Julian Orozco and Ryden Walker to set the tone for the three-game set.

In the opener, Taft broke a 2-2 tie with a four-run eighth inning to secure a 7-3 decision. After Siskiyous briefly moved in front with a two-run fourth, the Cougars responded with two runs in the fifth to regain the lead and then put the game out of reach in the eighth. William Glover delivered an RBI single in the decisive frame, and Carson Rodart added a sacrifice fly as Taft capitalized on its opportunities late.

Taft struck first in Game 1 with a manufactured run in the first inning. Landon Angelo lifted a sacrifice fly to open the scoring and give the Cougars an early 1-0 edge. Siskiyous answered in the fourth, pushing across two runs, including an unearned run and an RBI single by A. Duenez, to go ahead 2-1. The Cougars immediately countered in the bottom of the fifth, with Hayden Ryan singling to ignite a two-run inning that flipped the score back in favor of Taft at 3-2.

Orozco anchored the Game 1 victory on the mound, working 7.0 innings while allowing only four hits and two runs with four strikeouts. The right-hander kept Siskiyous to six total hits as a staff, limiting traffic and giving the offense time to surge late. Offensively, Dawson George paced Taft with two hits, a run scored, and an RBI, while Ryan added two hits and an RBI as part of the Cougars' nine-hit attack. Taft also drew five walks and left six runners on base, steadily applying pressure throughout the contest.

In Game 2, Taft again jumped in front early and used a three-run fifth inning to take control in a 7-2 win. The Cougars scored in the first inning when Edel Guemarez singled and advanced after A. Lopez had reached on an error, creating early traffic that led to a 1-0 lead. After Siskiyous pushed across two unearned runs in the fourth on a wild pitch and an RBI fly to briefly draw even, Taft responded immediately in the bottom of the fifth, plating three runs highlighted by an RBI double from Ryan to move ahead 4-2.

Taft continued to add on in the late innings of the nightcap, tacking on single runs in the sixth and eighth for insurance. J'Den Briones and Glover were involved in the sixth-inning run, and Glover contributed again in the eighth as the Cougars closed out the scoring. Glover finished Game 2 with two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs, while Ryan turned in his second straight multi-hit game with two hits and an RBI double. Taft finished with seven hits and five walks in the second game and took advantage of five Siskiyous errors.

Walker was efficient and steady in Game 2, going 7.0 innings while limiting Siskiyous to three hits and two unearned runs with four strikeouts. The right-hander allowed only one walk and faced minimal threats after the fourth inning, enabling the Cougars to extend the lead and complete the doubleheader sweep. Over the two games, Taft's starting pitching combined for 14.0 innings with only four earned runs allowed, while the offense totaled 14 runs and 16 hits, setting the stage for a competitive series finale the following day.