Vaquero pitcher Chris Joyce dominated Moorpark with a 16-strikeout performance.
Chris Joyce was quick and effective on Thursday, striking out 16 and allowing just two hits as SBCC earned its first WSC North baseball win with a 5-1 decision over Moorpark at Pershing Park.The game took only two hours and 25 minutes.
Joyce, a 5-11 sophomore left-hander from Dos Pueblos High, went the first eight innings, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and two hit batters. He had a no-hitter for 4 1/3 innings until Bryce Daily turned one of his few mistakes into a solo homer in the fifth.
“My fastball was my best pitch, I was able to control it and put it where I wanted to,” said Joyce, who lowered his ERA to 1.73. “I had a good first inning and that’s usually my rough inning.”
SBCC’s Tommy White hit a two-run homer down the left-field line in the fourth to extend his team’s lead to 4-0.
“Tommy hit the ball hard today and we hope he can get back to the form he showed last year (when he hit .424),” said coach Ryan Thompson.
Pat Cavalier had a run-scoring double in the first inning for the Vaqueros (7-9, 1-1). Colt McLaughlin scored a run on a double play in the second and drove in the fifth run with a sacrifice fly that scored Daniel Howell in the eighth.
The Raiders (6-9, 1-1) loaded the bases in the ninth against reliever DJ Gunderson on a walk, an error and a hit batter. Gunderson ended the two-out threat by getting John Travnick on a comebacker.
Joyce (3-0) struck out the leadoff hitter four times, fanned the side twice and had four 1-2-3 innings.
“Our guys feel confident when Chris Joyce is throwing,” said Thompson. “For this level, he’s a very good pitcher. He has an array of pitches and he throws hard. The best part about Chris is he loves to compete.
“When he’s out there, there’s competition going on with every pitch. If we can learn anything from him, it’s that.”
The Vaqueros will host Ventura on Saturday at 1 p.m.
