Barrick Clubs Two Home Runs, Tonascia Delivers Walk-Off Hit in 10-9 Win Over East L.A. to Open Spring Classic

Colby Barrick clubbed a game-tying home run in the eighth, and Jacob Tonascia delivered a walk-off single in the tenth in the Allan Hancock College baseball team's dramatic 10-9 win in 10-innings over East L.A. to open the annual Spring Classic on Tuesday. No. 20 Hancock improved to 12-10 on the season. East L.A. dropped to 8-11.

Barrick and Colton Studebaker had a career-high four hits each to lead Hancock's 19-hit attack. Freshman third baseman Chris Taitague, a Lompoc High School graduate, added a career-best three hits.  Tonascia, catcher Tim Mahoney and shortstop Zach Lampreia had two hits each.

Hancock opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Barrick led off with a triple and scored on a RBI-single by Studebaker. After Studebaker stole second, he scored on a RBI-hit off the bat of Mahoney. East LA scored one in the second on a solo home run from Ryan Viramontes against Hancock starter Kyle King. The Bulldogs answered with a long ball of their own off the bat of Barrick, the first of his two on the day.

East LA added two in the sixth to climb within 4-3, before Hancock responded with a two-run, two-out single from Tonascia to take a 6-3 lead. East LA took its first lead of the game with a four-run seventh and a two-run eighth. Trailing 9-6 in the home half of the eighth, the Bulldogs rallied with a pinch-hit single from Walker Armstrong and a double from Taitague. Barrick stepped up to the plate and clubbed a three-run shot to tie it 9-9. It marked Barrick's second home run of the game and third of the season. The Santa Ynez High School graduate finished with a career-high four hits, four RBI and two home runs. He became the first Bulldog to hit two home runs in a game since Riley Joyce did it last April.

The game-winning rally in the tenth started with a lead-off triple from Studebaker. Tonascia wasted no time and delivered a walk-off single to start the celebration.

Jason Terrones earned the win in relief to improve to 3-0. The Lompoc High School graduate allowed one hit over two shutout innings with two strikeouts.

King allowed six hits and three runs over six innings in a no-decision. He struck out nine and issued one walk. Matt Reynolds allowed five runs, two earned, and two hits, in one inning of relief. Skylar Bischoff allowed one run and two hits in the eighth inning with two strikeouts.

The first day of the Spring Classic featured four games between seven ranked teams. No. 2 Cypress beat No.9 Cuesta 22-14 in a slug-fest. No. 4 Canyons defeated No. 19 Merced 10-3, and No. 10 Fresno topped No. 17 Cerritos 10-4.

Day two of the classic on Wednesday features No. 2 Cypress (16-3) vs. No. 10 Fresno (13-6) at 10:30 a.m. at Cuesta College. East L.A. (8-12) will face No. 4 Canyons (15-4) at noon at Hancock, while No. 19 Merced (11-10) will battle No. 17 Cerritos (11-8) at 2 p.m. at Cuesta.

The tournament will end on Thursday with four games. Cerritos will play Canyons at 10 a.m. at Hancock. At 1 p.m. Cuesta will host Fresno, and Merced will play East L.A. at Elks Field at noon. The Bulldogs will face No. 2 Cypress at 1:30 p.m.