One run and five hits were all SBCC could manage for the second time in three days and the Vaqueros fell to Hancock, 5-1, in a WSC North baseball game on Saturday in Santa Maria.
“We tried to change our offensive mentality by being more aggressive and taking more of the plate away,” said coach Teddy Warrecker. “We did that but it’s not going to be a one-day fix.”
The Vaqueros (12-12, 1-7) remained winless in March with their sixth straight setback. SBCC’s only win in the last 10 games was an 8-4 decision over Oxnard on Jan. 28. First-place Hancock improved to 13-10 and 6-2.
Zack Chavez went 2-3 with a one-out triple in the first inning but was stranded at third. Santa Babara loaded the bases with two outs in the third but Barrett Ceverha lined out to center field.
Connor Whalen tossed five solid innings in relief of Chad Caraccioli. Whalen only allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts over the final five frames. Catcher Jeremy Howard drove in the Vaquero run with an RBI single in the ninth.
“It was one of our better games defensively and on the mound,” concluded Warrecker. “But we have no margin for error because we aren’t doing anything offensively.”
SBCC returns home on Tuesday to take on Cuesta at 2:30 p.m.
HANCOCK 5, SBCC 1
SBCC ………….. 000 000 001 — 1 5 1
Hancock ……… 003 101 00x — 5 8 0
Caraccioli, Whalen (4) and Howard; Green, Lechuga (9) and Dotzler. W–Green. L–Caraccioli (0-1).
2B–H: Dotzler, Gilliam, Planich. 3B–SB: Chavez.
Records–SB 12-12, 1-7; H 13-10, 6-2.
