Emily LoneTree went 3-3 with three RBIs and hit SBCC's first homer of the year on Friday as the Vaqueros rallied past Santa Monica 14-6 by scoring eight times in the sixth for a walk-off softball win at Pershing Park.
The Vaqueros (2-6) picked up their second straight win and posted their first victory at home (1-5). Santa Monica fell to 1-10.
LoneTree, a sophomore shortstop from Los Banos, doubled to leadoff the second, hit a two-run home run to straightaway center in the third, singled to lead off the fifth and walked in the sixth to force in Taylor Tibbels, making it 9-6 in favor of the Vaqueros.
LoneTree reached base four times and scored four runs. When she came to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth, she needed a triple to complete the cycle and the rain had just started falling.
"I was definitely thinking about needing a triple," said LoneTree. "Whatever I can do to help my team. Going in, I was just trying to get a ball I could handle. Once everyone started hitting in the sixth, we got in a groove and knew we could do it. The team cheering everyone on was also big."
SBCC rapped out a season-high 14 hits with a homer, two doubles and a first-inning RBI triple by Tibbels. Leadoff hitter Madison Foster went 2-4 with a double and three RBIs, Tibbels was 2-4 with two RBIs and Brianna Torres and Sinai Miranda added two hits apiece.
The Vaqueros gave up a run in the first, then scored five in their first three at-bats. Lauren Del Campo reached on a throwing error with one out in the third and LoneTree followed with her home-run blast, pushing the lead to 5-1.
The Corsairs scored two in the fourth and three in the fifth off SBCC starter Carson Dunckley to take a 6-5 lead. Chloe Jones drove in the last two runs with her second double of the day.
The Vaqueros tied it at 6 in the fifth when LoneTree singled, sprinted to third on Skylar Gothan's sacrifice bunt and scored on Dunckley's groundout to shortstop.
In the sixth, the first seven Vaquero batters reached base on four hits, two walks and a hit batter. All seven came around to score with Foster driving in the 12th and 13th runs on a double into the left-field corner. Miranda walked and Tibbels drove a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Foster for the walk-off win.
"I was waiting for us to have a big inning like we did in the sixth," said Vaquero coach Justine Bosio. "I knew we had the bats to do it, it was just a matter of waiting for us to connect. We've been waiting for Emily's bat to come alive. She's a phenomenal athlete and she's been making some killer plays on defense. When you have that one great game, it can trickle on to the rest of the season.
"I knew if we were disciplined at the plate, we could come back and win. We're just trying to continue to press urgency with the girls, like maybe having the 8-run inning earlier instead of waiting until the sixth inning."
The Vaqueros will play host a doubleheader on Saturday against two teams. The Vaqueros will take on Golden West at 11 a.m. and Glendale at 3 p.m. Golden West and Glendale will square off at 1 p.m.
Emily LoneTree watches her first homer of the year in the third inning.
The Vaqueros' shortstop went 3-3 with three RBIs and four runs.
