With the Pasadena City College baseball team trailing Golden West, 8-4, in the bottom of the eighth inning, a Canadian goose decided to stroll on to the field, settling in a spot in short left-center field. The Angels had the "Rally Monkey," but on Tuesday the Lancers had the "Rally Goose."
Never moving from its spot, the goose and the fans at Brookside Park watched PCC perform an epic, 9-run rally, including a 2-run double and 3-run homer by first baseman Jake Trabbie, to shock the SoCal #8-ranked Rustlers, 13-8.
Pasadena, ranked #20 in the coaches poll, sent up pinch hitter Evan Coad to open the eighth. Coad, who had just five previous at bats this season, lined a single to center. Leftfielder Aryonis Harrison followed with a line single down the left field line. The Rustlers' leftfielder may or may not have been spooked by the goose, but booted the ball to allow runners to reach second and third. Trabbie then did something he hadn't done in 354 previous career at-bats---hit a home run, a majestic drive over the LF fence.
Now down 8-7 with one out, third baseman Toshiki Kuriya doubled down the right field line. Golden West then brought in closer Andrew Stanley, who was tied with PCC's Rider Gardner for the state lead in saves with eight. Second baseman Amaris Harrison reached on an infield single to second with Kuriya racing to third. Stanley got Tommy Castillo to hit into a fielder's choice to third with Kuriya tagged out on the play.
PCC head coach Pat McGee inserted another pinch hitter in Damien Ureta, who promptly bombed a double to center, driving in Harrison and Castillo for the tying and ultimately game-winning runs.
But the Lancers wouldn't stop there as catcher Matt Rice's pop up to first was lost in the sun for an infield single, scoring Ureta. After Coad walked, Aryonis Harrison lined a shot to right that GWC Dylan Kordic couldn't make the shoestring catch on for a RBI basehit. Trabbie then stepped up and belted a 2-run double to left center, capping the wild rally. As strong as Stanley has been for the Rustlers this season, today he was no Goose Gossage.
Gardner didn't come into a save situation, but pitched a scoreless ninth as Golden West's goose was indeed cooked. PCC improved to 19-11 overall while Golden West fell to 16-13.
In the eighth-inning rally, PCC sent 13 players to the plate with Trabbie (two hits, five RBI), Aryonis Harrison (two hits), and Coad (hit and BB) all reaching base twice. Trabbie finished 3-for-6 with five RBI and is tied for the state lead for doubles with 17. His 36 RBI are tops in the South Coast Conference.
Rice batted 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, Kuriya hit 3-for-4, and Aryonis Harrison reached base five times, going 3-for-4 with two walks (his 30 free passes are #3 in the state) and three runs scored. His younger brother Amaris was 2-for-4 as was rightfielder Jakob Guardado, who also doubled and drew two BBs.
Two PCC freshmen relievers who had not pitched in a month came through for the Lancers. Lefty Ian Schenk hurled two innings of 1-hit, shutout ball with two strikeouts in the sixth and seventh. Jacob Fox pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and picked up his first collegiate victory. In the case of the two seldom-used pitchers, McGee showed what's good for the Rally Goose was good for the gander.
"There were a number of significant contributions from players that have patiently been waiting for their turn, for their chance to contribute," McGee said about the comeback win. "Players like Schenk, Fox, Coad, Amaris Harrison, and Ureta and what they did today helped lighten the load on the players that have been carrying us all year.
"Trabbie, Guardado, Kuriya and Gardner once again played huge roles for us. Their performance and leadership has been the driving force behind this team's success through the first 30 games. I'm happy that these young men are reaping the benefits of all their hard work and commitment."
PCC next plays at SoCal #2 Palomar on Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m. Last year, the Lancers lost a tough 3-game, SoCal Regional Playoff series to the Comets that ended the 2022 season.
Lefty Ian Schenk was one of the many heroes for PCC in today's win
