SBCC left-hander Kylin Turnbull was dominant on Tuesday afternoon, blanking El Camino on three hits with 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 baseball victory at Pershing Park. It was the first shutout of the year for the Vaqueros (5-8) and snapped a six-game win streak by the Warriors (6-5).
Turnbull, a 6-4 sophomore from Hillsboro, Ore., struck out seven of the first nine batters and didn’t allow a hit until the sixth when Anthony Graham led off with an infield single.
“Kylin was in complete command,” said coach Ryan Thompson. “He came back from 2-0 and 3-0 counts and got a lot of outs. That shows he had the resolve to throw the pitches when he needed to.
“He was in the 88-91 (mph) range and that was perfect for him. He was still throwing 88 in the eighth which shows his stamina was there. From a mental standpoint, that’s the most focused we’ve seen him.”
Daniel Howell belted his second homer of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth that made it 5-0. Howell had three RBIs.
It was the first complete game and first shutout in Turnbull’s two-year career. He didn’t allow a ball to the outfield until a single in the ninth and got 10 ground-ball outs, including a pair of double plays.
Shortstop Shay Maltese was involved in nine outs, taking a flip from second baseman Andrew Smith for a double play to end the sixth. That duo combined with Howell at first base for a game-ending double play after El Camino loaded the bases.
“I felt pretty good,” said Turnbull, who picked a runner off first to end the third inning. “I was hitting my spots and keeping the ball low. When you do that, good stuff will happen.
“My fastball was working early in the count and then I’d put them away with my slider.”
SBCC scored its first two runs in the third when Cody Giordano and Robert Vickers singled, followed by a bunt from Joey Epperson, the No. 3 hitter. Giordano beat the throw home from the first baseman and Howell brought in the second run with a sacrifice fly to left.
“That was an unselfish play with our No. 3 hitter pushing a bunt down the first-base line,” said Thompson. “That’s the sign of a group that understands what it takes.”
The Vaqueros will play their third game in four days on Thursday when they go to Torrance for a rematch with El Camino at 2 p.m.
SBCC 4, EL CAMINO 0
El Camino ……. 000 000 000 — 0 3 2
SBCC …….……. 002 020 00x — 4 6 0
Pulido, Zambrano (8) and Flores; Turnbull and White. W–Turnbull 1-1. L–Pulido.
HR–SB: Howell (2), 5th inn., one on.
