SANTA BARBARA – The lead changed hands three times in three innings down the stretch on Tuesday at Pershing Park, but it was the SBCC baseball team that came away with a 6-5 win over Allan Hancock for its third straight conference win.
The Vaqueros improved to 13-7 overall and 6-1 in WSC play, continuing their best start in conference in eight years. They are now 3-0 in games decided by one run this season.
It was a slow start for the SBCC offense, which had just one hit over the first five innings. The Bulldogs (11-10, 3-7) scored the first run of the day in the top of the third before leaving two runners on base.
Both offenses started to heat up late, starting in the bottom of the sixth. The Vaqueros got three straight hits to take a 2-1 lead. Hunter Call led off with a double to left field and gave SBCC its first run as Gabe Baldavino did the same on the next at bat. Matty Fung followed with an RBI single up the middle to bring Baldavino home from second.
Gavin Haimovitz would reach on a fielder's choice and make his way to second. With two outs on the board, Nicholas Seyler entered as a pinch hitter and singled to left center as Haimovitz crossed home plate to make it 3-1.
Allan Hancock came right back with three runs on three hits in the top of the seventh. SBCC went scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, but took the lead back in the eighth.
Fung hit a leadoff double down just inside the right field line. He tied it at 4-4 soon after, scoring on a wild pitch. Haimovitz scored again on a Carson Cahoy RBI single through the left side. With the bases loaded, catcher Tyler Imbach earned an RBI on a walk for SBCC's sixth and final run of the day.
Things got very interesting in the ninth inning. After two quick groundouts, the Bulldogs got a lifeline thanks to a Vaquero throwing error. That was followed by a single by Jacob Steels, cutting the lead to just one, 6-5. Steels stole second and improved his position for the tying run on a wild pitch, moving him to third. However, the Vaqueros finally ended things with a groundout to second on the next at bat.
Aiden Garza got the start at pitcher, going for over four innings and conceding four runs while striking out three batters. Charlie Adamson gave up no hits or walks in two innings pitched. Jake McBride (3-1) got the win after taking over in the seventh inning and giving up just one hit and no earned runs down the stretch.
