Evans sparks 13-2 rout that lifts Vaqueros into first

Brandon Evans went 4-5 with a triple, his first homer and four RBIs on Tuesday, leading No. 4 SBCC to a 13-2 baseball rout at L.A. Pierce. The Vaqueros moved into a first-place tie with No. 3 Oxnard atop the WSC North at 13-6.

Evans, a sophomore center fielder, hit a solo homer in the first and scored four runs. He singled in the fourth and scored when Noeh Martinez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. James Hill scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0.

The Vaqueros broke the game open with eight runs in the seventh. Evans, who raised his average to .325, drove in three with a bases-loaded triple. Evans scored on a wild pitch, then Martinez, Spencer Erdman and Nicolas Bereaud followed with RBI singles. Erdman made it 12-0 by scoring on a wild pitch.

Martinez and Erdman were both 3-4 with Martinez knocking in three runs. Hill and Gagain added two hits apiece.

The Vaqueros (24-7) scored 12 or more runs for the eighth time this year. They're 23-0 when scoring four or more runs.

Justin Bruce tossed seven innings of shutout ball to improve to 6-1. The sophomore right-hander gave up three hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

"This was a good bounceback win from yesterday (the Vaqueros lost 4-3 at Cuesta on Monday) and we had two long travel days in a row," noted coach Jeff Walker. "Brandon got us going in the first, then had a bases-clearing triple to create some separation.

"Bruce was outstanding on the mound. I think Pierce will be glad to see him graduate because he's 3-0 against them and I don't think he's given up any runs."

SBCC will host Pierce on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., then travel to Ventura on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.