Butte Wins Rubber Match

OROVILLE--Butte College's Mason Ali pitched a complete game three-hitter to pave the way for a 4-1 win for the Roadrunners over Feather River on Monday afternoon in Oroville.

Ali pitched his team to a series win, after Butte and Feather River split a doubleheader in Quincy last Thursday. Feather River is now 19-6 overall and 9-3 in the Golden Valley Conference. Butte improved to 18-10 overall and 10-4 in the GVC.

Ali's nine-inning complete game moved his record to 7-0 on the season. He gave up just the three hits, two of them in the fourth inning when FRC scored their lone run to tie the game at 1-1. Dylan Marx drove in Shane Danley, who had reached on a fielder's choice after Zane Denton's base hit. 

But Butte got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-double and the home team doubled home two more runs in the eighth for insurance.

The Roadrunner defense helped Ali with three double plays, snuffing any other Golden Eagle rallies. That also spoiled a good starting outing by FRC pitcher Eric Valdez, who pitched 5 innings and allowed just two earned runs and struck out five. 

The Golden Eagles will play a non-conference game at Folsom Lake tomorrow (Tuesday) before stepping into another big GVC series this weekend with Lassen. The Golden Eagles will host Lassen on Friday before visiting Susanville on Saturday to play the Cougars. Like Feather River, Lassen is 9-3 in conference play.