Over the weekend, the College of the Canyons baseball team lost to Los Angeles Valley College in the bottom of the ninth inning in both teams’ Western State Conference opener.

On Tuesday, the Cougars got a second crack against the Monarchs.

Thanks to a three-run first inning, a two-run home run by COC right fielder Cal Vogelsang in the eighth and solid pitching from Devon Ramirez and Ben Nicewicz, the Cougars beat Valley 5-2 at COC, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.

According to Ramirez, the 6-5 loss to the Monarchs on Saturday, which was Valley’s only win on the season, may have been a turning point for the Cougars.

“It really sent a message to come out here every day to work and not take any team lightly,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez pitched five innings with two strikeouts and allowed only one earned hit before giving the ball to Nicewicz.

Nicewicz threw a near-perfect four innings, striking out four and surrendering one walk in the process.

Vogelsang finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored for the Cougars (7-5, 1-1), while teammate Hugo Hernandez was 1-for-3 with two runs.

COC took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of errors by the Monarchs (1-11-1,1-1).

With Hernandez on second and Vogelsang on first, Cougars third baseman Robert Vickers hit a ground ball up the first-base line, which was misplayed by Valley first baseman Trevor McMaster.

As the ball slowly rolled into right field, Hernandez rounded the bases and scored easily, while Vogelsang had to beat out the throw to the plate.

Two batters later, Vickers scored when COC second baseman Nico Moreno’s fly ball to right was dropped.

That gave Ramirez all the confidence he needed.

“I knew I could go out there and relax,” he said. “I could just take it pitch by pitch.”

The Monarchs added a run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Josh Goosen-Brown, which scored Sean McGrier. Then they narrowed the gap to 3-2 in the fifth, when Oscar Soriano scored on a Cougar error.

However, Ramirez and Nicewicz kept the Monarchs from getting into a rhythm offensively.

“On Saturday, we were able to get the hits and today, we weren’t able to do that situationally,” said Valley head coach Dave Mallas.

Meanwhile, Monarchs starting pitcher Chase Munoz stayed composed, despite the early deficit.

“He bounced back and gave us a chance to win,” Mallas said. “That’s all you can ask of a pitcher.”

Munoz pitched a complete game, with five strikeouts and only two earned runs.

“I don’t think we made a very good adjustment to (Munoz),” said COC head coach Chris Cota.

That is, until Vogelsang closed the door in the bottom of the eighth with his two-run home run, which scored Hernandez.

“It was the first off-speed pitch he threw me,” Vogelsang said. “Slider inside, and I just turned on it. I didn’t think it was going to go out.”

On Thursday, the Cougars will look to put their previous three-game losing streak further behind them on the road against West Los Angeles College.

Despite the string of defeats, Cota said the team stayed focused.

“This is a confident bunch,” he said. “Hopefully, that stays with them.”