SBCC stormed back from an 11-4 deficit with four runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth on Friday but a trio of defensive miscues spoiled the party in the regular-season baseball finale at Pershing Park. Cuesta scored twice in the 10th and went on to post a 13-11 victory in a 10-inning marathon that lasted nearly four hours.
SBCC's Danny Cavaletto is congratulated by teammates following his first inning home run.
PHOTOS BY VINCE AGAPITO
[nggallery id=25]It was the second win over the Vaqueros in as many days for the Cougars (19-17, 10-10), who finished in a third-place tie with SBCC (20-16, 10-10) in the WSC North. The teams split their season series 2-2 but Cuesta has the tiebreaker advantage due to a better record against conference champion Oxnard.
The Cougars probably earned a playoff berth with the win while the Vaqueros dropped their seventh game in the last 10 outings.
Cuesta snapped a 4-4 tie by scoring seven times in the eighth to take an 11-4 lead. SBCC responded with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped by Daniel Howell’s two-run double.
After Sam Johnston and Danny Cavaletto singled in the ninth, Abe Ruiz hit a towering three-run homer to right-center to tie the game at 11. It was the 11th homer of the year for Ruiz, a transfer from Arizona State, who went 3-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
“Coming back from seven runs down (in the last two innings), that’s as big a swing as I can remember in 10 years here,” said coach Teddy Warrecker. “Abe’s been doing this for the last month with a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff. He’s been incredibly couragous and will leave a great mark on this program.”
Left-hander Joe McGrew pitched into the eighth for the Vaqueros, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He was replaced by Greg Selarz, normally a starter, after McGrew hit the first batter in the eighth. With the bases loaded, Selarz forced in two runs on hit batters, then Ty Muller had a two-run single off D.J. Gunderson.
Danny Cavaletto homered in the first for the Vaqueros, who lead the state in homers with a school-record 55.
Santa Barbara commited six errors, leading to six unearned runs.
“That’s been our Achilles all season long,” said Warrecker. “It’s a shame to waste a good performance by Joe. He gave us seven-plus innings and kept us in the game.
“After we got the three-run homer to tie it, we misplayed a ball and it was a common theme all year long. We weren’t able to overcome what we do on the defensive side even with championship-level offense and at times, great pitching. Our giveaways were just too much.”
Cavaletto and Steven Keller had three hits each on a day when the Vaqueros rapped out 16. Howell, Conner Rehage and Tommy White, the WSC’s top hitter at .435, all had two hits apiece.
Warrecker said there’s a small chance the Vaqueros could receive one of the 18 playoff spots in the Southern Cal Regional but if that happened, it would be the first time that four WSC North teams made the postseason. The pairings will be announced on Sunday.
CUESTA 13, SBCC 11
(10 innings)
Cuesta ……. 012 001 070 2 — 13 11 4
SBCC ……… 102 010 043 0 — 11 17 6
Kaneakua, Gerber (5), Reed (8), Levin (10) and Prophet; McGrew, Selarz (8), Gunderson (8), Gardner (9) and Keller. W–Reed. L–Gardner 2-4.
2B–C: Anderson, Cunningham 2. SB: Ruiz, Howell. HR–C: Prophet, 6th inn., none on. SB: Cavaletto (2), 1st inn., none on; Ruiz (11), 9th inn., two on.
Records–Cuesta 19-17, 10-10. SBCC 20-16, 10-10.
WSC North Standings (final)
1, Oxnard 16-4. 2, Hancock 13-7. 3 (tie), Cuesta 10-10, SBCC 10-10. 5, Ventura 9-11. 6, Moorpark 2-18.
