Fueled by the offense of the Cannon twins, SBCC opened its softball season with a 24-run eruption on Saturday in a sweep of Foothill at Pershing Park. The scores were 14-6 and 10-1 and both games were halted after five innings due to the eight-run rule.
SBCC jumped ahead 6-0 after three innings of the opener on two-run singles by Lauren Takayesu and pitcher Kailey Snyder. Foothill responded with six runs in the top of the fourth but the Vaqueros sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring five more runs on four hits.
“We were all excited to start the season,” said Laura Cannon, a freshman infielder from Berkeley. “When they tied it up, we just came right back and got the momentum.”
Laura Cannon, who’s older than her sister Joan by 40 minutes, went 3-for-4 in the first game with four RBIs and three runs scored. She drove in her sister Joan three times. Joan, the leadoff hitter, collected two hitsand a walk while scoring four runs.
SBCC took an 11-6 lead into the top of the fifth in Game 1 and quickly loaded the bases on a walk, a single by Joan Cannon and a good hustle play by Elicity Fabing, who reached base after striking out. Laura Cannon drove in two runs with a single to left and, following a walk, Lindsie Holloway and Kellee Venturi delivered RBI singles to end the game.
Sixteen players got into the first game for SBCC and 15 played in the nightcap.
“I’m really happy with our offense,” said coach Paula Congleton. “We used all 17 players and we really didn’t drop off. When they came back and tied it at 6 in that first game, even with the second group, we fired right back and scored and shut them down in five innings.”
Snyder got the win in the opener, holding the Owls without a run in 4 1/3 innings. She pitched the first three innings and then returned with two outs in the fourth and got the the last four outs. She struck out five and walked three.
The Vaqueros jumped ahead 3-1 in the second game and got a combined two-hitter from Jeana Carillo and Liliana Caughman. Carillo, one of four Lompoc High players on the squad, had two strikeouts and three walks over four frames. She also had a two-run double that capped a four-run fourth.
Defensive highlights included right fielder Nicole Adair throwing out a runner at first and second baseman Patricia Martinez starting a 4-6-3 double play in the fourth.
SBCC travels to defending state champion Mt. San Antonio on Saturday. They’ll take on Mt. SAC at 2 p.m. and Fullerton at 4 p.m.
First Game (5 inn., run rule)
Foothill …… 000 60 — 6 9 4
SBCC ……… 105 53 — 14 17 1
Wilson and Peralez; Snyder, Gazzariga (4), Snyder (4) and Wong, Holloway (4). W–Snyder (1-0). L–Wilson (0-1).
2B–F: Larsen. SB: Snyder, Zeitlin, J. Cannon. HR–F: Agosti, 4th inn., one on.
Second Game (5 inn., run rule)
Foothill ….. 100 00 — 1 2 4
SBCC …….. 213 40 — 10 11 2
Larsen and Peralez; Carillo, Caughman (5) and Wong, Holloway (4). W–Carillo (1-0). L–Larsen (0-1).
2B–SB: Fabing, Carillo.
