Cuesta College baseball team rallies before losing 5-4 to Riverside

The Cuesta College baseball team’s furious rally in the eighth and ninth innings came up short in a 5-4 loss to Riverside on Friday in San Luis Obispo.

Trailing 5-0, the Cougars (1-1) loaded the bases in the eighth inning but failed to score. In the ninth inning, Cayce Rocco’s one-out sacrifice fly brought home the first run, Brad Carracioli hit an RBI infield single, and then two runs scored on a dropped third strike to Dustin Miller. Garrett Giovanelli followed with a single to put the winning run on base, but Hunter Reade lined out to center to end the game.

Giovanelli, a San Luis Obispo High grad, was 3 for 5. No other Cougars player had more than one hit.

Sabino Ramirez got the win with 7 2/3 shutout innings, and Ryan Avila got the save for Riverside (1-1). Ryan Mota’s two-run homer broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning.

Louis Raymond allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six in seven innings for Cuesta.

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Cuesta College baseball team rallies before losing 5-4 to Riverside."