Three SBCC pitchers limited Long Beach City to three singles on Tuesday at Pershing Park and Chito Elias scored on a throwing error with two outs in the ninth to lift the Vaqueros to their first home baseball win of the season, 4-3.
Sophomore right-hander Chad Caraccioli went the first six innings, allowing three runs on three hits with two strikeouts and five walks. Colby Morse and winning pitcher DJ Gunderson didn’t allow a hit in the last three frames.
Elias reached on an infield single to open the bottom of the ninth and went to second when pinch-hitter Zach Pecyna was hit by a pitch. Cody Giordano reached on a forceout and Colt McLaughlin struck out for the second out. Joey Epperson hit a grounder to second base but the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, giving SBCC the win.
Elias, McLaughlin and Daniel Howell all went 2-for-4 and scored a run for Santa Barbara (3-6), which won for the first time in seven home games.
“It was great to have a close game and come out on top,” said coach Ryan Thompson. “We didn’t do it in the fashion we wanted to and we wasted some other opportunities to execute.”
Howell’s RBI single in the first staked the Vaqueros to a 1-0 lead. The Vikings (2-5) scored all three runs in the fourth on an RBI single, a wild pitch and a squeeze bunt by Derrick Garcia that brought home Seth Spears to make it 3-1.
SBCC got a run in the fourth on a double by Howell, a single by Joey Gonzalez and a dropped fly ball in right field. In the fifth, the Vaqueros got two runners on when Giordano reached on a fielder’s choice and McLaughlin was safe on a bunt single. When the runners tried to steal with two outs, the catcher threw the ball into center field, allowing Giordano to score the tying run.
SBCC loaded the bases in the seventh but failed to score when Epperson and Robert Vickers struck out. Only one of the Vaqueros’ runs was earned and they won despite striking out 12 times.
The Vaqueros travel to Irvine Valley on Thursday and Cypress on Friday.
SBCC 4, LONG BEACH 3
Long Beach ….. 000 300 000 — 3 3 4
SBCC ……….…. 100 110 001 — 4 9 2
Gallardo, Uyetake (7), Hernandez (9) and Ponce; Caraccioli, Morse (7), Gunderson (8) and Trevino, White (6). W–Gunderson 1-1. L–Hernandez.
2B–SBCC: Howell.
