The Channel League baseball standings are a cluttered mess right now, but the Santa Barbara Dons will head into their bye week atop the heap after a 6-2 win at Ventura on Friday.
Sophomore starter Kees t’Sas gave up two runs on three hits in the first inning, but allowed just one hit over the next five innings for the Dons and improved his record to 3-1. He struck out seven and walked three before being relieved by Collin Dewell, who shut the door in the seventh.
Dewell and Danny Zandona each had doubles, while Joey Gonzales and Cameron Gniadek each had three hits.
Santa Barbara heads down south on Saturday, where it will play Chatsworth in the final round of the Chatsworth Tournament.
“We’ve never beaten them down there. They’re always good, but this is the year that I think we have a fairly good chance of playing a good game against them,” said assistant coach Mike Cooney.
The Dons are now 18-3-1, 7-3 while Ventura falls to 10-12, 4-4.
SANTA BARBARA 6, VENTURA 2
Santa Barbara…130 020 0 — 6 11 0
Ventura…200 000 0 — 2 4 2
t’Sas, Dewell (7) and Eaton. Griffith, Garrabrant (2), Arias (5), Torres (7) and Castro. WP — t’Sas (3-1), LP — Griffith.
2B — SB: Dewell, Zandona. V: Tucker, Castro. HR — SB: Gil (2nd inn., solo)
