East L.A. Adds Crucial Loss to Mission’s Injuries : Junior college baseball: Early barrage helps Huskies triumph, 15-10, and pull into first place in the Southern California Athletic Conference.

In a game both teams wanted badly but seemed willing to give away, East L.A. College outlasted host Mission, 15-10, Saturday in a Southern California Athletic Conference showdown to gain the inside track for the conference title.

The victory puts East L.A. (20-15, 12-4 in conference play) one game ahead of Mission (22-13, 12-6). The Huskies have four games remaining and Mission has two.

“We are perennial second-place finishers,” East L.A. Coach Al Cone said. “It’s nice to be in a position to control our own destiny.”

The Huskies took control early, scoring two runs in the first and seven in the second against right-hander Raul Torres (5-5) for a 9-0 lead. Mission committed five of its seven errors in the two innings and only one run--a home run by Sal Gomez leading off the game--was earned.

Several Free Spirit players were pressed into unfamiliar defensive positions because of injuries to teammates, and East L.A. took advantage of their shaky work with the glove. Richard Avalos, normally an outfielder, played first base because he is suffering from a rib injury that restricts his throwing. And second baseman Jose Gallegos was used as the designated hitter because of a pulled hamstring.

“Torres wasn’t pitching that poorly early,” Mission Coach John Klitsner said. “I’m sure it was kind of frustrating for him trying to get six outs an inning.”

That’s not to say the Huskies didn’t hit the ball hard. They smacked four doubles in the second inning--three with two out--and had nine extra-base hits in the game, including three home runs.

Two solo homers came in the third inning off reliever Rod Arancibia, one by center fielder Ted Persel and the other by third baseman David Escoto that put the Huskies ahead, 11-2. Escoto also had two doubles and finished three for five.

Mission, which beat East L.A. in their previous four conference games this season, had only one extra-base hit--a three-run home run by Gallegos in the fourth that cut the East L.A. lead to 11-5.

East L.A. starter Chris Romero (5-1) scattered seven hits and struck out five in six innings but was victimized by two of the four errors committed by his team. Only two of the five runs he allowed were earned.

Shortstop Jesus Morales was three for six and scored four runs for East L.A., first baseman Danny Terrazas was three for five with three runs batted in and catcher Carlos Ramirez was three for four.

Left fielder Marlon McKinney, normally the first baseman, and shortstop Gary Matthews, normally the left fielder, each had three hits in five at-bats for Mission.