Collin Dewell belted his fifth and sixth home runs of the season on Thursday as the Santa Barbara High baseball team capped its season with a 10-4 home win over Buena that was never in doubt.
Dewell hit a grand slam as part of a 9-run first inning, then hit a solo shot in the sixth. Jack Crummer hit his first dinger of the year in the first inning with two runners on. Dewell, a junior, also came in to pitch the sixth inning and slammed the door shut for good.
Cameron Gniadek and Joey Gonzales each went 3-for-4 for the Dons (20-4, 9-3), who expect to play at home and get a decent seed in next Friday’s first round of the CIF Division II playoffs.
“How far we go just depends on pitching, because I don’t think our pitching’s been dominating. It’s been spirited and gutsy, but you can run into a lot of awfully good teams in the playoffs,” said assistant coach Mike Cooney. “Every year it’s different. We went two rounds last year and this year we’ll just take it one game at a time again.”
Buena, now 5-7 in league, will play Dos Pueblos in a play-in game on Friday.
SANTA BARBARA 10, BUENA 4
Buena…000 006 — 4 6 2
Santa Barbara….910 000 x — 10 13 1
Jacobs, Dietz (1), Wilson (4), Kelly (6) and Boys, Martinez (6). t’Sas, Dewell (6) and Eaton. WP — t’Sas 4-1. LP Jacobs (3-7)
SB — HR: Dewell 2 (1st inn., bases full; 6th inn. solo), Crummer (1st inn., 2 on).
