AVC BEAT: BASEBALL TEAM PUTTING OUT SOS FOR A WINNING STREAK.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

After 14 consecutive losses to begin its baseball season, Antelope Valley College didn't celebrate victory No. 1 very long.

The Marauders defeated two-time Foothill Conference North champion San Bernardino Valley 9-7 last Friday and looked to start a winning streak in a doubleheader at Citrus Saturday.

Ironically, the momentum stalled in a reversal of AVC's season trend. While the Marauders' generous pitching staff (204 runs allowed in 136 innings) held the Roadrunners in check, John Miustin and J.J. Rosati's combined effort was wasted. AVC's .279-hitting offense was shut out until the seventh, scoring just once in a 2-1 loss.

``I think we needed that win,'' Marauders coach Joe Watts said. ``In baseball you always want to put together a winning streak. We're going to have string together a couple of wins in a row.''

The Marauders returned to old habits in the second game, losing a 13-6 slugfest despite Parker Metheny's three hits, Mario Varela's two hits and two RBI and Brett Roth's two RBI.

``The first game we had our opportunities to win. We just couldn't make things happen,'' Watts said. ``And we did lose the second game 13-6, but in California junior college baseball even that's a close game.''

AVC's losses have ranged from narrow ones such as the opener in the Desert doubleheader to 16-5, 21-0 and 24-0 routs earlier in the season.

But the Marauders, at 1-5 in conference play entering Tuesday's home game against Victor Valley, still have time to steer into the right direction.

``What makes it easier . . . is the kids believe that we are better than our record,'' Watts said. ``We had a good practice (on Monday). One thing about kids, they will bounce back. We're the ones that always worry.''

Let it Raine: Freshman Curt Raine is enjoying a prolific season. Entering Tuesday's game, the Littlerock High product was hitting a team-best .471 with two home runs, nine RBI and 10 runs scored.

Raine was hit in the foot by a pitch in the San Bernardino win, forcing him to miss both games of the doubleheader.

``We could have definitely used him,'' Watts said. ``He seemed to be back at full speed. It looks like he's good enough to play again.''

Softball: AVC takes a seven-game winning streak to Palm Desert today when the Marauders play COD in a 3 p.m. Foothill Conference game.

The Marauders (9-3 overall) kicked off their conference schedule with a 9-2 win over Chaffey last Wednesday.

The blowout was welcomed after AVC won three times in extra innings, 9-7 over Canyons, 4-3 over Santa Barbara and 7-5 over Riverside, since Feb. 17.

The pitching of freshman Mikki Goldwater has been effective, if not overpowering. The Palmdale High product has a 7-2 record with a 2.26 ERA. In 65 innings she has recorded just 11 strikeouts.

The Marauders have six regulars batting at .300 or higher. They are Tashie Aguinaga (.381), Amber Slaton (.342), Kristi DeMarco (.341), Christa Morales (.324), Amanda Kauffman (.303) and Nadine Klemenz (.300).

Elite eight: The eight teams, four each from Northern and Southern California, gathering at the Bren Center in Irvine this week for the men's basketball state championship tournament looks a lot like AVC's regular-season schedule.

Exactly half of the eight, Porterville, Sequoias, Mt. San Jacinto and Long Beach, were AVC opponents during the season.

The Marauders went 0-5 against this powerful quartet, but they weren't easy pickings. They lost to Porterville by eight and COS by five.

Mt. San Jacinto defeated AVC 102-86 thanks to a blistering shooting night. Long Beach routed the Marauders by 22 in the regular season but had to withstand a missed shot at the buzzer for a 77-75 win in the second round of the regional playoffs.

``That's crazy scheduling. That's what that is,'' AVC coach Newton Chelette joked. ``If I find that guy. I'll hang him.''

Football: In an attempt to compensate for the chilly evening temperatures of October and November, the Marauders' final three home games of the 1999 regular season will kick off at 1 p.m.