Vaqueros held to two hits in 3-0 loss to Hancock

SBCC managed just two singles on Thursday and Hancock blanked the Vaqueros 3-0 in a WSC North baseball game in Santa Maria. The county rivals split their four-game series 2-2.

Jesse Clingman got the win by pitching two-hit ball for seven innings. The freshman right-hander struck out five and walked three. Zack Zipper pitched the eighth and Henry Fienga finished up for his first save.

Noeh Martinez led off the game with a single and Patrick O'Brien singled in the second for the No. 6 Vaqueros (19-9, 8-6), who only had three baserunners in the last seven innings. Hancock, ranked No. 9 in Southern Cal, improved to 17-10-1 and 7-7.

The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI triple by Ryan Welker and a run-scoring single by Felipe Gonzalez. Kyle Smith added a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

SBCC left-hander Tyler Gilbert fell to 4-4 after giving up three runs on nine hits in six innings.

"It takes more than two hits and no runs to win a game," said coach Jeff Walker. "Tyler pitched well enough to win, we just couldn't get our offense going."

The Vaqueros will host Cuesta on Saturday at 1 p.m.