City Ends Season Series With Win Over Southwestern

San Diego City came into Saturday's series finale against Southwestern having lost the previous two games, but the Knights responded with seven runs in the first two innings to win, 10-6, with Jesse Chacon and Jake Pfitzner each hitting home runs.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Chaz Kaneakua drew a bases-loaded walk to produce City's first run. Alex Chacon then scored on a wild pitch and his brother Jesse Chacon followed with a sacrifice fly to score Pfitzner from third base. 

Landyn Magina came up next and singled in another run to put City ahead, 4-0. 

After starting pitcher Erik Radder retired the side in the top of the second, the Knights took advantage of multiple Southwestern miscues in the bottom half of that inning and scored three more runs to take a 7-0 lead. Alex Gonzalez came home on a balk, Pfitzner scored on an error, and Jesse Chacon hit an RBI single.

Southwestern cut into City's lead with two runs in the third, but Pfitzner gave the Knights an 8-2 advantage after hitting a solo home run in the fourth. It was his 10th of the season, which is tied for seventh in the state.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jesse Chacon hit a 2-run homer to right field, his first of the season, to give the Knights a 10-3 lead.

Southwestern scored twice in the eighth and then tried to put together a big rally in the ninth. With one out, the Jaguars closed the gap to 10-6 after an RBI single by Aiden Perez. 

City reliever Zack Derham came in and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases with the potential tying run at the plate, but he got pinch-hitter Luke Williams to hit into a game-ending 643 ground ball double play.

It was Derham's first save of the season as the Knights improved to 14-14 overall and 7-9 in the PCAC. 

The Knights will start a 3-game series against Imperial Valley at Morley Field on Tuesday at 2 p.m.