Cougars rally past Vaqueros, 7-6

Cuesta loaded the bases on three singles in the seventh, then scored on a bases-loaded walk to beat SBCC 7-6 in a WSC North baseball game in San Luis Obispo.

The Vaqueros (16-17, 7-6) remained in a first-place tie with Ventura and Moorpark. Hancock and Cuesta (18-14, 7-7) are a half-game back.

Leadoff hitter Patrick Caulfield went 2-5 with two RBIs and Nicholas Prainito drew three walks and scored twice.

The Vaqueros are 12-6 when scoring six or more runs and 4-11 when they get five or less.

Santa Barbara led 3-0 after two innings and took a 6-3 lead with three runs in the fourth. Prainito walked and Boston Hubbard singled. Ryan Guardino drilled an RBI single and Caulfield doubled in Hubbard. Reinhard Lautz walked to load the bases and John Jensen was hit-by-a-pitch, forcing in Guardino.

Cuesta tied it 6-6 with three runs in the fifth, capped by a two-run double by Zack Berohn.

Jensen went 1-3 and extended his season-best hitting streak to eight games. Jake Holton had an RBI single in the first and has hit in four straight and nine of the last 11 games.

Ian Churchill went the first six innings for the Vaqueros, giving up six runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

The Vaqueros had runners on first and third in the eighth and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth. Cole Tucker, who pitched 1.2 innings, struck out pinch-hitter Joshua Perlmutter to end the game.

The Vaqueros are playing three straight days and four games in five days. They travel to Ventura on Friday at 2:30 p.m., then host Oxnard on Saturday at 1 p.m.