Shay Maltese of SBCC makes the turn at second base to complete a double play against Saddleback College.
In another play at second base, Colt McLaughlin slides in safely on a wild pitch by the Saddleback pitcher.
Saddleback built a 4-0 lead in the first game on Saturday at Pershing Park, then held on for a 4-3 baseball victory over SBCC. In the nightcap, the Gauchos (4-2) rallied from an early 5-0 deficit and beat the Vaqueros 9-7, thanks to Dylan Christenson’s two-run homer in the eighth.
Santa Barbara (1-5) scored single runs in the sixth, eighth and ninth of the opener. Pinch-hitter Daniel Howell drove in Zach Pecyna with a two-out single to make it 4-3 and Cody Giordano followed with another single. But Colt McLaughlin flied out to third base to end the game.
In the second game, SBCC opened with three straight infield singles and had five hits during a five-run first inning. Robert Vickers drove in two with a bases-loaded single and Shay Maltese had a two-run double.
Saddleback tied it with five unearned runs in the fourth but SBCC regained the lead at 7-5 on a two-run single by Howell in the fifth. The Vaqueros couldn’t make two routine plays in the seventh, leading to a run, and Dylan Christensen belted a two-run homer in the eighth to put the visitors from Mission Viejo ahead to stay.
Only three of Saddleback’s nine runs were earned.
SBCC got two singles in the ninth but couldn’t score.
The Vaqueros play at Antelope Valley on Monday.
First Game
Saddleback ….. 300 010 000 — 4 12 2
SBCC …………. 000 001 011 — 3 8 1Nuno, Wylie (8), Witt (8), DuPont (8), Kuehn (9) and Gore, Huntzinger (8); Turnbull, Alvarez (7) and White. W–Nuno. L–Turnbull 0-2. S–DuPont.
2B–S: Pugmire 2. .Second Game
Saddleback ….. 000 500 121 — 9 11 0
SBCC …………. 500 020 000 — 7 10 4
Note: Complete batteries unavailable. Murphy, Castellano (1), Christenson and Jensen; Morse, Perry and White. W–Christensen 1-0. L–Perry 0-1.
2B–S: Kabeary, Paradise. SB: Maltese. HR–S: Christensen, 8th inn., one on.
