Eight is enough in Vaqueros' first shutout

Eight was the magic number for SBCC on Saturday at Pershing Park as the Vaqueros collected eight runs on eight hits in their eighth straight baseball win. Four pitchers combined on a six-hitter in the Vaqueros' 8-0 victory over Antelope Valley.

Santa Barbara (8-0) is the only unbeaten team in Southern California. Left-hander Ryan Massengale pitched three-hit ball for the first four innings. James Chadband got his first collegiate win with three innings of hitless relief.

It was the first shutout of the season for SBCC and the second win over Antelope Valley (2-4) in three days. The Vaqueros have scored 30 runs in their last three games and seven or more in all eight wins.

James Brakka went 3-4 and Spencer Erdman was 1-2 with three RBIs. Erdman and James Hill stole three bases each for SBCC.

"We won the strike-throwing contest and we took care of the baseball," said coach Jeff Walker. "Getting a shutout against a team that swings the bats pret up ty good is a real positive. Our pitchers threw strikes and our defense played well behind them.

"We like to put pressure on the defense (by stealing bases). I don't call any of those, they do that on their own. It was an all-around great team win."

The Vaqueros took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Brakka in the first and a safety squeeze bunt by Erdman that scored Hill in the second. They broke it open in the fourth, scoring five times on one hit, six walks, a hit batter and five stolen bases. Erdman's two-run single up the middle made it 4-0.

"The offense has really been carrying us," said Erdman, a freshman shortstop from Santa Clara. "And our pitchers threw up a zero, so we couldn't lose.

"The coaches are always working with us on stealing bags and getting that extra 90 feet. That's really going to push us forward even when our offense isn't there."

SBCC hosts West L.A. on Wednesday and East L.A. on Thursday with both games starting at 2 p.m.