Vaqueros rout Wildcats 14-2 for ninth straight win

SBCC erupted for a season-high 14 runs on Wednesday in a 14-2 baseball victory over West L.A. at Pershing Park.

Shortstop Matt Henderson drove in four runs and Justin Bruce pitched six innings of two-run ball to improve to 2-0. The Vaqueros boosted their perfect record to 9-0, which is believed to be the best start in program history.

After falling behind 1-0 against the submarine delivery of Haechun Jung, the Vaqueros took a 2-1 lead on a two-run, two-out single by Henderson in the fourth. They added four more in the fifth, thanks to a two-run single by Jimmy Brakka, a bases-loaded walk by Dallas Bacon that scored Brakka and a sacrifice fly from Henderson.

"We just stopped chasing pitches up and started attacking before he got two strikes," said Henderson, a freshman from Chico. "We have nine guys who can hit 100 percent of the time and another nine guys sitting behind them. We have a good bench and a good team that's pulling together really well."

The Vaqueros have racked up 44 runs in their last four games and are averaging 9.4 per game. Four East L.A. pitchers issued seven walks and hit seven batters. Jung went 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

"They've been pitching well and their record (0-9) is a little deceptive," said SBCC coach Jeff Walker. "Oxnard had to score 2 in the ninth to beat them 2-1 (on Tuesday). Their starter has a different look and there was a pro scout here to watch him. Kudos to our offense for being patient and getting him out early. I think he threw more than 90 pitches in 4 1/3 innings.

"We got timely hits and executed well, moving guys over. It was a good team effort."

Santa Barbara scored 14 runs in five straight innings, capped by a four-run eighth. Noeh Martinez and Connor McManigal had run-scoring singles in the sixth that stretched the lead to 8-2. Chris Player delivered a two-run single to left in the eighth inning.

No. 9 hitter Spencer Erdman also drove in a pair of runs.

Bruce gave up two runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. Cody Van Aken and Gabe Neustadt didn't allow a hit over the last three frames.

Henderson was asked how it feels to be the only unbeaten team in Southern California.

"Gotta win the next one," he said. "Win the next pitch, win the next inning, win the next game."

The Vaqueros will complete a three-game homestand on Thursday when they host East L.A. at 2 p.m.