San Marcos’ baseball team moved into its Channel League bye week back in the saddle. After four straight league losses, the Royals picked up their second-straight win on Friday with a 4-2 decision at Ventura.
Shane Wieland and David Kim combined to pitch a four-hitter for San Marcos, which improves to 3-4 in league with five games to play. Ventura is in first-place at 4-2 after Santa Barbara lost twice this week.
Friday’s game was tied 2-2 until the top of the sixth inning, when Nick Stathopoulos blasted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that scored Riley Moore. Stathopoulos knocked in three of the Royals’ four runs, having scored Nick Villegas on a single in the first inning.
“It was a no-doubter to right-center field,” described Royals head coach Rob Crawford of Stathopoulos’ home run. “He did a nice job of staying with the pitch.”
Payton Moore drove in San Marcos’ other run with an RBI single in the fourth inning that scored Jimmy Brakka.
Buena scored its only runs in a two-run first inning. The Bulldogs tallied three of their four hits in the first frame, but threatened in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases without a hit.
San Marcos’ defense, which is errorless in its last five games, came through in the clutch, turning a double play to secure the victory.
SAN MARCOS 4, BUENA 2
San Marcos 100 102 0 – 4 6 0
Buena 200 000 0 – 2 4 0
SM – Kim, Wieland(5), and RMoore. Buena – Jacobs, Zeman (7), and Boys. 2b – Boys, Smith, Stathopoulos, Brakka, PMoore, Wieland. HR – Burke, Stathopoulos.
