Vaqueros Score 39 Runs, Win Crucial Series Over Hancock

By Jimmy Friery

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Baseball team (16-13, 11-4) won yet another Western State Conference (WSC) North series this week, this time over previous conference leaders Allan Hancock.

Coming into the week, Hancock was a game ahead of the Vaqueros in the standings. In Santa Maria on Tuesday and Saturday, and in Santa Barbara only Thursday, Hancock would have liked their chances to add to their lead. However, the Vaqueros' bats plated 39 runs across the three games to win the series, nearly coming back to win the third game, too.

Tuesday, game one: Santa Barbara 13, Hancock 5

The start of a massive week, the Vaqueros sure did set the tone on the road. Lucas Carlisle's RBI single in the first gave them an early lead before Jaxson Hoye threw a 1-2-3 bottom half. Two more in the second off the bats of Wylan Nelson and Cole Ide made it 3-0 before the hosts got a run back.

Most of the damage was done in the third, though. The Vaqueros scored a massive 10 runs—seven with two outs—to completely stun the hosts. Bradley Cekada, Sean Asperger, and Andrue Dosztan-Campbell (two doubles) all had two hits in the inning alone. Suddenly, it was 13-1 Vaqueros in the middle of the third.

With the game essentially in hand, the Vaqueros cruised to a 13-5 final. Adam Tripp pitched four scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits.

Dosztan-Campbell led the team with four hits, including three doubles. Asperger had three hits, as did leadoff hitter William Matuzsak (two doubles). The Vaqueros had 18 as a team.

Thursday, game two: Santa Barbara 16, Hancock 5

Somehow, Thursday was even more emphatic. Back at Pershing Park, the Vaqueros had the chance to climb to the top of the WSC North standings.

After the two-way player Nelson pitched a scoreless top of the first, the offense spotted him six runs. Matuszak (scored on a passed ball), Asperger (RBI single), and Dosztan-Campbell (grand slam) picked up where they left off, punctuated by the latter's fourth extra-base hit in six at bats.

Nelson navigated a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second to keep the score 6-0. In the bottom of the fourth, he drilled a three-run homer to help his cause, followed by a solo shot from Cole Ide to make it 10-0.

Hancock immediately responded with a five-run fifth to get back in the game. It was short-lived, though.

The first three Vaquero batters in the bottom half reached via walk, walk, and hit-by-pitch. Matuszak then hit the team's second grand slam of the day to restore the massive lead. Cekada's RBI single later in the inning made it 15-5.

Cedar Cline and Darren Orlando shared the final three scoreless innings. Dosztan-Campbell's single in the eighth made it 16-5 and gave him his fifth RBI on the day. Nelson earned the win, pitching six innings and striking out 10.

Overall, the Vaqueros hit four homers—two grand slams—as part of 13 hits in the dominant win. Ironically, those were the team's only extra-base hits of the game. The lineup also walked (nine) more than they struck out (seven).

Saturday, game three: Hancock 13, Santa Barbara 10

The series now won, the Vaqueros were aiming for a sweep as the teams headed back up north. Hancock's bats could only be held in check for so long, though.

The Vaqueros continued their run-scoring ways with two in the top of the first, but Hancock scored four in the bottom half. Nelson's two-run homer in the second tied it, but Hancock again scored four in the bottom half to take an 8-4 lead after just two innings.

A two-run homer from Asperger cut the deficit to 8-6 in the fifth, but the hosts immediately countered once again. Scoring three in the bottom half, then one each in the seventh and eighth, it was 13-6 Hancock heading to the top of the ninth.

With two outs, no runs home, and runners on first and second, the Vaqueros rallied. Two walks, two hit-by-pitches, and a wild pitch scored four runs, bringing the tying run to the plate. With a 3-2 count, Hancock got the strikeout they needed to avoid a Santa Barbara sweep.

Only four of the Vaqueros' 10 runs were scored on hits—Nelson's and Asperger's two-run homers. So, the box score is an interesting look as the team only had five hits but were hit by a pitch five times and walked eight times.

Next week, it will be another crucial series for the Vaqueros as they play Pierce for three. Tuesday and Saturday will be at Pershing Park while Thursday will be in Los Angeles. Santa Barbara, Hancock, and Pierce are all 11-4 in conference play.