The Rio Hondo college baseball team (12-5, 19-10) sits one game behind San Bernardino Valley College (13-4, 21-8) for first place in the Foothill Conference after they defeated Cerro Coso (4-13, 4-23) by a score of 17-2 on April 10, in “the Jungle” at Rio Hondo college.

Miguel Gonzalez pitched five innings, allowed one hit, and did not give up any runs to lower his ERA to 2.20 (second in Conference) and earn his seventh win of the season.

Right fielder Antonio Ruiz, who is batting .283, had two hits, including a double, he scored three runs and drove in six to lead the Roadrunners’ offensive surge.

Rio Hondo had a couple of huge innings to completely put the game out of reach for the Coyotes.

In the fourth, Rio Hondo scored six runs on three hits and one error from the Coyotes.

Ruiz singled, with runners on the corners, scoring Hector Partida and Nick Piraino to extend Rio Hondo’s lead to 6-0.  Three batters later, Daniel Gomez pinch hit for Alex Campos and singled with runners on second and third to give the Roadrunners a comfortable 9-0 lead.

Gomez had a single and a double in the sixth inning to extend the Roadrunners’ lead to 17-1, and give him four RBIs on the day.  Gomez’s double capped a seven run inning for Rio Hondo and gave him his third hit of the day.

Tyler Leibert, Ceasar Arzate, Alan Rodriguez, and David Espindola each threw an inning in relief to give Rio Hondo its 12 win in the Foothill Conference and tie them with Chaffey College for second place in the Foothill standings.