Tommy White had a career day on Tuesday at Pershing Park as he went 4-for-4 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs in a 10-8 baseball victory over Irvine Valley.
“I was seeing the ball real well and trying to have quality at-bats,” said White, a freshman outfielder from Scottsdale, Ariz.
SBCC’s Danny White went 4-for-4 on Tuesday with a home run and four RBIs.
White staked the Vaqueros (5-3) to a 3-0 first-inning lead by drilling a three-run homer to left after Danny Cavaletto and Steven Keller opened with singles. White doubled in the third and scored on an error, then had an RBI single in the fourth and a leadoff double that led to a two-run seventh.
“I had a 3-1 count (in the first) and he threw a fastball right inside,” recalled White. “I was just trying to hit a hard fly ball to score the run from third. Here at the Persh, it’s not too much of a deep park and sometimes a pop-up can get out of here.”
The top three batters in the order went 8-13 with seven runs scored. Cavaletto was 2-4, Keller was 2-5 and each scored a pair of runs.
Sophomore right-hander Greg Selarz allowed five runs with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings to each his first collegiate win.
The Lasers got within a run in three straight innings — 6-5, 7-6 and 9-8 in the eighth — but SBCC answered in the bottom half of each frame. Chase Yost got his first homer leading off the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-8.
Submarine reliever DJ Gunderson recorded the final four outs for his first save.
Tommy White rounds third base in the 7th inning and scores on a triple from Conner Rehage, seen in the background heading to second base.
“I was really impressed with Gunderson’s poise,” said coach Teddy Warrecker. “He got a couple of guys looking on strikeouts after a four-pitch walk to open the ninth. And he got out of a big jam in the eighth.”
The Vaqueros have 17 homers in eight games and are batting over .325 as a team. Cavaletto leads the squad at .471 while White is hitting .469 with four homers and a team-high 15 RBIs.
“That’s why Tommy White hits in the three spot,” said Warrecker. “He shows the best approach game-in and game-out. He’s not afraid to use the whole field and he can do a ton of damage, even when he has a two-strike count. He has superior skill and I only see him getting better.”
The Vaqueros went 5-1 on their six-game homestand that ended Tuesday. They’ll play their next five on the road, starting Thursday at Irvine Valley.
(Vince Agapito Photos)
SBCC 10, IRVINE VALLEY 8
Sianez, Lutz (7) and Williams; Selarz, Turnbull (6), Gunderson (7) and Keller. W–Selarz 1-0. L–Sianez 1-1.
2B–IV: Olive, Williams. SB: Pecyna, White 2, Cavaletto. 3B–SB: Pecyna, Rehage. HR–IV: Gorman, 5th inn., none on. SB: White (4), 1st inn., two on; Yost (1), 8th inn., none on.
Records–IV 5-4. SB 5-3.
SBCC……………… 301 201 21x — 10 13 2
