For ELAC, Mission Was Impossible

The East Los Angeles College baseball team got off to a good start against Mission on Thursday, but it was all downhill from there.

The Huskies only advanced two runners past first base in a 7-0 loss in a Southern California Athletic Conference game at East L.A.

East L.A. leadoff batter Teddy Persell was safe at first on a throwing error to start the game, and then stole second. Persell, however, was thrown out at third after a sacrifice bunt attempt by Sal Gomez backfired.

East L.A. was retired in order five times and could only advance one other baserunner past first against right-hander Raul Torres (3-2), who threw a three-hitter to record his second shutout.

The loss culminated a week that the Huskies, who fell to 8-9 and 3-2 in conference play, would rather forget.

East L.A., seeking its first conference title since 1975, entered the week in first place in the SCAC standings. The school opened conference play by scoring 35 runs in a three-game sweep of L.A. City.

But the Huskies found themselves in third behind Mission (15-6, 6-2) and L.A. City after dropping their second game in two days to the Free Spirit, which also defeated East L.A., 4-3, on Tuesday.

It was the fourth-consecutive loss for the Huskies, who also suffered two nonconference losses the previous week and are in the midst of their longest losing streak in four seasons.

“There’s an old saying: ‘You play like you practice and you practice like you play,’ ” East L.A. Coach Al Cone said. “We have a number of guys who think they can turn it on in games and leave it off in practice. This is one of the most heartless efforts we’ve had.”

East L.A. starter Edgar Orta (1-4), who struck out four and allowed seven hits in eight innings, retired 12 of the first 13 Free Spirit batters before surrendering three consecutive hits in the fourth, including a run-scoring double to Jose Gallegos, which gave Mission a 1-0 lead.

Gallegos drove in three runs on two doubles and Jesus Perez had two hits and scored three runs to pace Mission’s nine-hit attack.

Mission, which had baserunners in each of the final five innings, pushed across single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to increase its lead to 3-0.

Mission broke the game open with four runs in the ninth. After a sacrifice fly scored a run, Gallegos’ double knocked two more runs in and another scored on a bases-loaded walk off reliever Gabriel Orozco.