SANTA BARBARA – The SBCC baseball team picked up its first win of March on Thursday at Pershing Park, putting up runs in five different innings while shutting Ventura down in a 7-2 victory.
With the win, the Vaqueros (11-7, 4-1) ended a four-game skid, dropping the Pirates to 9-12 overall, 4-4 in WSC play. This is tied for SBCC's best start to conference play since 2014.
While Santa Barbara more than tripled Ventura in the run department, it was the Pirates who ended the game with a 7-5 advantage in hits. The Pirates weren't able to capitalize when they had runners on base however, while the Vaqueros were.
Ventura opened the game with back-to-back singles, but the SBCC defense was stellar from there, picking off a runner, striking out the next batter and getting a fly out to end a scoreless top half of the first.
In the bottom of the second, the Vaqueros loaded the bases before there was a single out. Pearce Blaney and Owen Crevelt both walked, followed by a clean bunt from Justin Deal. Catcher Tyler Imbach then cleared the bases with a three-RBI shot out to center field, putting SBCC up 3-0.
Both teams matched each other with one run in the third inning. The Vaqueros made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly from Gavin Haimovitz to score a run from Matty Fung.
SBCC's defense held the Pirates scoreless until the eighth, but its offense scored one run in three straight innings. Fung opened the fifth with a solo home run, his first of the season.
In the sixth, Crevelt was hit by a pitch and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. As Hunter Call was being picked off betwen first and second, he drew the defense's attention and Crevelt made it home from third.
The Vaqueros added another from Gabe Baldavino on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh. Pitcher Decker Mac Neil (3-4) got the win, striking out five and giving up just one earned run.
SBCC closes its series with the Pirates in Ventura on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
