SBCC belted four homers on Sunday but still dropped a season-opening baseball doubleheader to Saddleback in Mission Viejo. The Gauchos won by scores of 12-6 and 6-5.
The Vaqueros gave up six runs in the fourth inning of the opener and fell behind 6-0. Connor Rehage hit a solo homer in the fifth and Steven Keller had a two-run blast in the ninth. Sam Johnston and Taylor Lyons each had two hits.
Saddleback (2-1), ranked 13th in Southern Cal, erased a 5-4 SBCC lead in the nightcap with single runs in the seventh and the bottom of the ninth. Abe Ruiz delivered a solo homer in the fourth and Tommy White made it 5-3 with a two-run blast in the fifth.
Zack Chavez had a pair of doubles for the Vaqueros, who had five hits and four errors.
“We responded well in the second game,” said coach Teddy Warrecker. “We made some errors due to inexperience and first-day jitters. We also had some flashes of brilliance. All the parts are in place for us and I’m very confident we’ll have a good season.”
The Vaqueros make their home debut on Tuesday at 2 p.m. against Glendale.
Game 1 Linescore not available
Game 2
SBCC ……………. 100 220 000 — 5 5 4
Saddleback …… 101 101 101 — 6 11 1
Selarz, Gunderson (6), Turnbull (8) and Keller; Horrell, Helmkamp (4), Nelson (5), Yuh (7), Christensen (8) and Krovetzky. W–Christensen 1-0. L–Turnbull 0-1.
2B–SB: Chavez 2, Yost. S: Ehlow, Parvin, Martin, Coombs. HR–SB: Ruiz (1), 4th inn., none on; White (1), 5th inn., one on.
