Behind Miranda, Hancock Baseball Tops Rio Hondo 8-4

Jacob Tonascia had three hits, including a home run, and Chance Miranda pitched into the eighth inning as the Allan Hancock College baseball team doubled up Rio Hondo 8-4 on Saturday to close out a three-day tournament at College of the Canyons. The Bulldogs snapped a three-game slide and improved to 4-3. Rio Hondo fell to 1-6 overall.

After Rio Hondo scored two unearned runs aided by three Hancock errors in the top of the first inning, the Bulldogs rallied to build a 5-2 lead after seven.

Tonascia led off the second with a solo home run, the first by a Bulldog this season. Hancock rallied for two in third. Zach Lampreia scored on an error by the second baseman and Colton Studebaker collected the first of his 3 RBI with a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Ryan Peinado to give Hancock a 3-2 lead.

Tim Mahoney singled home Peinado in the fifth to give Hancock a 4-2 lead. The sophomore catcher later doubled in Peinado in the seventh. 

Mahoney finished with two hits and 2 RBI.

After Rio Hondo scored two in the eighth to cut it to a 5-4 game, the Bulldogs put it away with three runs in the eighth. Justin Daraban singled in James Fitzmaurice and Studebaker followed with a two-run double.

Hancock finished with 11 hits. Tonascia led the way with three, including the home run and a double. Mahoney and Daraban had two apiece. Peinado, Hancock's third baseman and leadoff hitter, had one hit, walked once, stole two bases, and scored four times.

Making his first start of the season, Miranda scattered six hits and one walk in seven and two-thirds innings. The left-handed pitcher allowed four runs, but only one was earned. Walker Armstrong, a St. Joseph High School graduate, preserved the win with one and one-third innings of shutout relief. He struck out two and did not allow a hit.

Hancock returns home to host Canyons on Thursday, February 18 at 2 p.m. Hancock fell 14-5 to Canyons on Thursday.