PC roundup: PC men fall short at West Hills

The Porterville College men’s basketball team kept placing itself in a hole and kept coming back and coming back. In the end the Pirates couldn’t come all the way back.

So PC finds itself in a logjam in the race for a state playoff berth after a 77-72 loss at West Hills on Saturday. Both PC and West Hills are now 4-3 in the Central Valley Conference and along with College of the Sequoias and Columbia are in a tight race for second in the CVC behind Fresno City. The second place team clinches a spot in the state playoffs and the third place team may earn a place in the state playoffs as well.

West Hills jumped out an 8-0 lead and PC found itself trying to come back for the rest of the night. Mikey Hidalgo hit a three-pointer to bring PC to within 8-3 and Donald Lee hit a three to bring Porterville to within 14-8, but West Hills went on a 9-1 run to take a 23-9 lead before Johnathan Brown scored on a dunk off of a steal off the press to bring the Pirates to within 23-11.

Jordan Wilkinson scored on a hook shot and was fouled, converting the three-point play to bring PC to within 25-14 and Porterville ended up trailing 39-28 at halftime.

Hidalgo hit two threes to keep PC to within 46-38 early in the second half. When Kameron Hoyt hit a three, Porterville was within 48-45. But West Hills responded with an 8-0 run to go up 56-45 before Jason Carmichael hit a three to bring the Pirates to within 56-48. Then West Hills went up 62-48, equaling its biggest lead, before PC responded with one last comeback. Porterville closed to within 70-69 on Carmichael’s three and after West Hills went up 74-69, Lee hit a three to bring PC to within 74-72, but that was as closes as Porterville would be.

While PC hit six of its eight threes in the second half, the ultimate difference of the game came at the foul line where West Hills was 12-of-15 and PC was 6-of-8.

Carmichael scored 21 points, Hoyt had 13 points, Lee had 12 points and Hidalgo and Wilkinson each added nine points for Porterville.

COS 62, PC WOMEN 55

Much like the men, PC (0-5 in the CVC) almost pulled off the comeback, but couldn’t ovecome a slow start in which it trailed 15-2 to begin the game and 35-15 at halftime. PC used a full court press to come back in the second half before falling short.

Porterville had just six baskets in the first half and Janette Garado had four of them. Garado went 4-of-5 from the floor in the first half while the rest of the team was 2-of-25. Regine Mecenario scored 15 points, Garado had 14 points, Danielle Carrillo had eight points and Eva Gutierrez added seve points for PC.

SOFTBALL

PC STARTS 0-4

Porterville College coach Vickie Dugan expected growing pains to begin the season and the Pirates struggled on opening day, losing a doubleheader at West Valley 8-0 and 16-2 on Friday. But PC played much better on Saturday, losing 3-2 in eight innings to Gavilan and 8-4 to DeAnza.

In the opener against West Valley, PC was no-hit while coming off the flu, Sam Nalley wasn’t her usual self on the mound, although she did strike out four. “We didn’t get the typical performance out of her,” Dugan said.

PC had five hits in the nightcap as Felcia Flavel doubled and Sam Saldana, Ginessa Delange, Rebecca Hurtado and Taylor Ball all added a hit.

Nalley was more like herself against Gavilan as she struck out 10 and allowed two earned runs in her complete-game effort. “She pitched much better,” Dugan said.

Gavilan scored the winning run with two outs in the eighth inning. Porterville also made just one error. “They played a lot better,” Dugan said.

Kimber Fielding, Hurtado, Delange and Ashley Keener all had a hit for Porterville.

Hurtado had an outstanding all-around game against DeAnza as she went 4-for-4 and also provided a solid start on the mound. PC was tied 4-4 and trailed 5-4 going into the seventh. PC banged out 11 hits. Also for the Pirates, Delange went 2-for-3 and Saldana, Fielding, Flavel, Nalley and Jessica Gonzalez all added a hit.

The Porterville College men’s basketball team kept placing itself in a hole and kept coming back and coming back. In the end the Pirates couldn’t come all the way back.

So PC finds itself in a logjam in the race for a state playoff berth after a 77-72 loss at West Hills on Saturday. Both PC and West Hills are now 4-3 in the Central Valley Conference and along with College of the Sequoias and Columbia are in a tight race for second in the CVC behind Fresno City. The second place team clinches a spot in the state playoffs and the third place team may earn a place in the state playoffs as well.

West Hills jumped out an 8-0 lead and PC found itself trying to come back for the rest of the night. Mikey Hidalgo hit a three-pointer to bring PC to within 8-3 and Donald Lee hit a three to bring Porterville to within 14-8, but West Hills went on a 9-1 run to take a 23-9 lead before Johnathan Brown scored on a dunk off of a steal off the press to bring the Pirates to within 23-11.

Jordan Wilkinson scored on a hook shot and was fouled, converting the three-point play to bring PC to within 25-14 and Porterville ended up trailing 39-28 at halftime.

Hidalgo hit two threes to keep PC to within 46-38 early in the second half. When Kameron Hoyt hit a three, Porterville was within 48-45. But West Hills responded with an 8-0 run to go up 56-45 before Jason Carmichael hit a three to bring the Pirates to within 56-48. Then West Hills went up 62-48, equaling its biggest lead, before PC responded with one last comeback.

Porterville closed to within 70-69 on Carmichael’s three and after West Hills went up 74-69, Lee hit a three to bring PC to within 74-72, but that was as closes as Porterville would be.

While PC hit six of its eight threes in the second half, the ultimate difference of the game came at the foul line where West Hills was 12-of-15 and PC was 6-of-8.

Carmichael scored 21 points, Hoyt had 13 points, Lee had 12 points and Hidalgo and Wilkinson each added nine points for Porterville.

COS 62, PC WOMEN 55

Much like the men, PC (0-5 in the CVC) almost pulled off the comeback, but couldn’t ovecome a slow start in which it trailed 15-2 to begin the game and 35-15 at halftime. PC used a full court press to come back in the second half before falling short.

Porterville had just six baskets in the first half and Janette Garado had four of them. Garado went 4-of-5 from the floor in the first half while the rest of the team was 2-of-25. Regine Mecenario scored 15 points, Garado had 14 points, Danielle Carrillo had eight points and Eva Gutierrez added seve points for PC.

SOFTBALL

PC STARTS 0-4

Porterville College coach Vickie Dugan expected growing pains to begin the season and the Pirates struggled on opening day, losing a doubleheader at West Valley 8-0 and 16-2 on Friday. But PC played much better on Saturday, losing 3-2 in eight innings to Gavilan and 8-4 to DeAnza.

In the opener against West Valley, PC was no-hit while coming off the flu, Sam Nalley wasn’t her usual self on the mound, although she did strike out four. “We didn’t get the typical performance out of her,” Dugan said.

PC had five hits in the nightcap as Felcia Flavel doubled and Sam Saldana, Ginessa Delange, Rebecca Hurtado and Taylor Ball all added a hit.

Nalley was more like herself against Gavilan as she struck out 10 and allowed two earned runs in her complete-game effort. “She pitched much better,” Dugan said.

Gavilan scored the winning run with two outs in the eighth inning. Porterville also made just one error. “They played a lot better,” Dugan said.

Kimber Fielding, Hurtado, Delange and Ashley Keener all had a hit for Porterville.

Hurtado had an outstanding all-around game against DeAnza as she went 4-for-4 and also provided a solid start on the mound. PC was tied 4-4 and trailed 5-4 going into the seventh. PC banged out 11 hits. Also for the Pirates, Delange went 2-for-3 and Saldana, Fielding, Flavel, Nalley and Jessica Gonzalez all added a hit.