Taft College grabbed the lead in the first inning Saturday afternoon, but Fresno City College broke the game open with a seven-run eighth and handed the Cougars a 13-4 loss at Cougar Field.
The decisive moment came in the top of the eighth, when Fresno City turned a two-run game into a rout. Gilbert Acosta lined a two-run double and Isac Mandujano followed with a three-run homer as Fresno City stretched a 6-4 lead to 13-4. That outburst capped a day in which Fresno City scored in the first, third, fourth, sixth and eighth innings, finishing with 13 runs on 12 hits.
Taft opened with one of its best swings of the day in the bottom of the first. Noah Duran doubled, and after an error by the shortstop, the Cougars pushed across three runs. Two runs scored on Duran’s extra-base hit, and Taft added another on a groundout RBI to take a 3-1 advantage. Fresno City answered in the third with three runs to move in front 4-3, then got a solo home run from Tyler O’Toole in the fourth for a 5-3 lead.
The Cougars pulled back within a run in the fifth when Zaden Kekoa D. Sibal hit a solo homer, trimming the deficit to 5-4. That was as close as Taft would get. Fresno City added a run in the sixth, then delivered the game’s knockout inning two frames later. Taft finished with four runs on seven hits, including three doubles and one home run, but stranded nine runners.
Mandujano led Fresno City’s offense with two hits and five RBIs, while Acosta had two hits and two RBIs. Jace Davies added two hits and an RBI, Tyler O’Toole scored twice and homered, and Matt Torres also collected two hits and scored two runs. Fresno City totaled five doubles, two home runs and five walks. On the mound, Fresno City pitchers combined to allow four runs, and Mason Berlinger earned the win in relief.
Taft also showed some pressure on the bases with three stolen bases and drew five walks, but the Cougars were slowed by 14 strikeouts and could not match Fresno City’s production after the opening inning. In front of an attendance of 100, Taft carried early momentum at home before Fresno City’s late surge settled the result.