Butte College’s Taylor Greene dominated on the mound with a complete game on only 112 pitches, mowing through the American River College lineup in a 6-0 victory for Butte.
ARC managed only five hits in the game and went down in order in five out of the nine innings.
The team also hit into two double plays, as well as an inning-ending interference play in the fifth.
“We’re just not getting the job done,” said right fielder Matt Hall. “Not good situational hitting, can’t keep the ball out of the air.”
Third baseman Brayden Gomez and left fielder Michael Hatfield were the only starters in ARC’s lineups to manage hits, getting two each.
ARC’s only other hit came from pinch-hitter Mitchell Brill in the ninth inning.
“We’re not making adjustments at the plate,” said designated hitter Tyler Swank. “I think it’s all mental. Swinging at pitches out of the zone, getting too far out in front.”
Greene breezed through the game, only facing a hint of danger in the eighth inning when ARC had Hatfield and Brill on the bases before a groundout by shortstop Jared Biggs ended the frame.
“He was almost pitching backwards,” Swank said of Greene. “He was throwing change-ups in fastball counts, so that kind of threw us off a little bit.”
Hitting coach Clay Cederquist credited Greene for a great performance but said his team’s mental adjustment comes with patience.
“(It’s about) being able to get to the next pitch and not dwell on the last one,” Cederquist said.
Cederquist also said “limiting our mistakes” will be a big key for the team going forward.
ARC committed two errors and had a passed ball from catcher Matt Elliot in the game.
“Once we do that, we’ll give ourselves a much better chance to win,” Cederquist said.
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(Photo by Mack Ervin III)
ARC now stands at 3-7 through 10 games, far below where many of the players and coaches believed the team would be prior to the start of the season.
Hatfield, who called the team back into a post-game huddle after he thought his teammates didn’t seem passionate enough breaking away, said it would be key for the team to “stay the course.”
“We just haven’t been coming out wanting to win as much as everyone should want to win,” Hatfield said. “If we play true to our identity, that can change us around.”
Hatfield still believes the team can win the Big 8 Conference as he said before the season began, but doesn’t believe the changes needed to be made are major.
“There’s just minor things we have to work through as a team to come out here and win a close game,” Hatfield said.
Starting right fielder Cade Parker is out with a concussion he suffered Tuesday.
Parker said that the best-case scenario for his return would be in the team’s game on Thursday hosting Mission College.
