The hot bats from early in the season returned for SBCC on Saturday as the Vaqueros scored eight runs in the fifth inning and five in the eighth to beat Oxnard 13-7 at Pershing Park.
The victory ended an eight-game losing streak for Santa Barbara (13-14, 2-9). Trailing 3-0, SBCC sent 12 batters to the plate in a long fifth that featured eight runs, four hits, four errors, two walks and a hit batter. Tony Cooper, who went 3-for-4, capped the uprising with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.
SBCC scored more runs on Saturday than it had in its previous five games (12).
“It feels great to get a win,” said SBCC coach Teddy Warrecker. “I feel more for the kids than for myself. It’s nice to see their hard work and commitment validated on the scoreboard. We did a great job of battling back and got some great hitting with runners in scoring position.”
Oxnard cut the deficit to 8-7 on a three-run homer by Jonathan Erb with one out in the seventh. Left-hander Greg Pellici replaced Chad Caraccioli and the Condors promptly loaded the bases on a pop-fly single to right, a swinging bunt and another infield single. He got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
Pellici, a 5-9 left-hander from Middleton, Conn., pitched three innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
“Greg gave a great performance,” said Warrecker. “He kept his composure and made pitches when he had to. What’s turned his season around is that we turned over all the pitch calling to him and that’s completely changed who he is as a pitcher.”
Leadoff hitter Zack Chavez and shortstop Kai Beam each went 2-4 for the Vaqueros, who 10 players to the plate in their five-run eighth. Cooper and Beam started the rally with a single and double, followed by a two-run single from Chavez. Chavez scored on an outfield error and Aaron Bauman added a two-run double.
“It’s been as tough a stretch as I can remember being in,” said Warrecker, referring to the eight-game skid that lasted 17 days. “For them to play as hard as they did on Thursday and not come out with a win (losing 7-6 on a run in the bottom of the ninth at Cuesta) and to come back out today and play like we did, it says a lot about the group.
“We’re a long way from being over. This team has already shown it’s capable of winning 10 of 11 games.”
SBCC travels to Oxnard on Tuesday for a 2:30 p.m. game.
SBCC 13, OXNARD 7
Oxnard ……….. 000 120 400 — 7 12 5
SBCC …………. 000 080 05x — 13 13 3
Goldsmith, Aguayo (5), Reyes (8) and McDonald; Whalen, Caraccioli (5), Pellici (7) and Howard. W–Caraccioli (1-1). L–Goldsmith.
2B–C: Howard, Krupp, Bauman. HR–O: Erb, 7th inn., two on.
Records–O 8-14, 3-8. SB 13-14, 2-9.
