SBCC learned about adversity in Tuesday’s baseball opener at Pershing Park.
The Vaqueros trailed Compton 7-5 entering the bottom of the 10th before rallying to win 8-7. With one out, Corey Krupp, Chris Lopicollo and Brad Marasco came through with singles to cut the deficit to one. Tony Cooper, playing his first college game, followed with a two-run, walk-off single on a drive to the right-field corner.
“We played very poorly, with five errors, five walks and critical errors in the ninth and 10th to give away the lead,” said SBCC coach Teddy Warrecker. “But we learned a really valuable lesson early in the season. We have to compete every game.”
Zack Chavez, a freshman leadoff hitter from Santa Barbara High, went 3-for-5 with an RBI while Cooper was 2-4 with three RBIs. Krupp went 3-5 with two runs scored.
Aaron Bauman’s RBI single put the Vaqueros up 5-3 in the seventh but Compton posted single runs in the eighth and ninth.
“We got huge at-bats from Lopicollo (as a pinch-hitter) and Marasco (who came off the bench) in the 10th,” noted Warrecker. “We need to put the first-game jitters behind us and just play our game.”
SBCC will be at home on Friday with games against Ventura (10 a.m.) and Cerro Coso (2 p.m.) in the Bash at the Beach. On Saturday, the Vaqueros will take on Victor Valley at 2 p.m.
(Photos by James Sinclair/PresidioPics. To purchase photos, email [email protected])
SBCC 8, COMPTON 7
Compton …… 010 020 011 2 — 7 9 2
SBCC ………… 000 022 100 3 — 8 15 5
Contreras, Gutierrez (4), Braulid (6), Duenas (8) and Murakami, Juarez (8); Pellici, McFarland (3), McGrew (4), Peterson (5), Whalen (6), Caraccioli (7), Edgington (8) and Keller.. W–Edgington 1-0. L–Duenas 0-1.
2B–C: Violante. SBCC: Krupp.
