Vaqueros top Moorpark 8-3 in WSC opener

SBCC scored eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings on Saturday afternoon and three relievers shut down the Moorpark offense in an 8-3 baseball win at Pershing Park.

It was the third straight victory for the Vaqueros (8-1, 1-0), who are ranked No. 4 in Southern Cal and improved to 6-0 at home. Moorpark, which brought its program back this year after a two-year absence, fell to 6-3.

Sophomore catcher James Hill went 2-4, raising his average to a team-high .393, and Noeh Martinez was 1-3 with two RBIs. Left-hander Lucas Jacobsen went the first five innings and gave up three runs on nine hits to improve to 3-0.

The Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI triple by Thomas Leuvano and a run-scoring single by Parker Hindle. The Vaqueros responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to chase Raider starter Tyler Patton. Matt Henderson and Brandon Evans led off with walks and Connor McManigal reached on a throwing error by the pitcher that scored two runs.

Hill reached on an errant throw by the shortstop and McManigal scored, putting the Vaqueros ahead to stay at 3-2. After James Brakka singled, Martinez brought home Hill with a deep sacrifice fly to center and the Vaqueros led 4-2.

SBCC sent 10 men to the plate in the fourth and scored four runs on one hit and two errors.

"We did a good job of punching back after they took the lead and we managed to put a crooked number on the board," said SBCC coach Jeff Walker. "We took advantage of some of their mistakes and got an outstanding effort on the back end of our pitching.

"Lucas wasn't as sharp as he has been but Moorpark is a good club, they came in 6-2. They hit the ball and chased him after five. Fortunately we played good defense and had a strong bullpen behind him."

Jake Keily, Davis Messer and Kit Larson combined to throw a 1-hit shutout with nine strikeouts over the last four innings. Keily fanned four in two innings and Messer struck out the side in the eighth while giving up a walk and a hit batter. Larson struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth.

Moorpark got a run back in the fifth on Riley Conlan's RBI single. The Vaqueros put up four more in the fifth when McManigal and Hill singled and Brakka walked to load the bases with one out. Michael Deleon came in to pitch and Martinez greeted him with an RBI single to right. When the outfielder mishandled the ball, Hill scored to make it 6-3.

Brakka scored on a sacrifice fly by Nolan Soto. Designated hitter Payton Milone walked, then tried to take second base. The pitcher threw to the shortstop, who fired the ball home to try to get Martinez, but he knocked the ball out of the catcher's glove.

Moorpark outhit the Vaqueros 10-7 but committed four errors, leading to five unearned runs.

SBCC will travel to Moorpark on Tuesday and No. 3 Oxnard on Thursday with both games starting at 2 p.m.