Kailey Snyder pitched a two-hitter on Friday afternoon and Laura Cannon delivered a dramatic game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh to propel SBCC to a 1-0 softball upset of No. 4 Mt. San Antonio.
“I’m ecstatic,” said coach Paula Congleton. “This is a huge win for us. Kailey said she felt 100 percent better than she did on Thursday (when she missed a doubleheader split with Ventura due to a rib injury). “She kept them off-balance and all her pitches were working.”
Snyder (20-2) struck out five and didn’t walk a batter in the nonconference game at Pershing Park. She’s allowed two hits or less in 11 games this season. She retired the last 10 in order in a classic pitching duel with Alexa Limon. The Mounties’ right-hander held SBCC to six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Santa Barbara improved to 23-3 while Mt. SAC, ranked No. 2 in Southern Cal and No. 4 in the state, fell to 24-3. The Mounties won state championships in 2005, ‘07 and ‘09 and were second last year.
SBCC loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on singles by Stephanie Bolanos and Mariah Coyazo and a fielder’s choice on a bunt by Joan Cannon. Limon got two outs on a groundout and strikeout before Laura Cannon stepped to the plate. The cleanup hitter belted the first pitch to left-center and the center fielder couldn’t reach it as the ball one-hopped the fence. Pinch-runner Elicity Fabing sprinted home with the winning run.
“It was a high and inside pitch and I was just trying to hit it hard,” said Laura Cannon, who made several strong plays at shortstop. “This feels really good.”
Coyazo, a freshman second baseman, went 2-3 and had a nice running catch in foul territory behind first base for the second out in the seventh.
Snyder said her rib hurt “a little bit but I just decided to work through it.”
It was the 10th shutout of the year for the sophomore from St. Joseph High in Santa Maria. She only allowed three baserunners in seven innings and no one reached third.
Snyder nearly homered to right-center leading off the sixth but Lauren Moreno snagged the ball as she was falling into the temporary fence.
“Beating the fourth-ranked team in the state means a lot as far as our emotional well-being and motivation,” said Congleton. “It also gives us validation that we are one of the top 10 teams in the state.”
SBCC beat top-ranked Siskiyous 3-1 on March 5 at the Fresno Tournament.
The Vaqueros travel to Oxnard for a WSC contest on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
Mt. San Antonio ….. 000 000 0 — 0 2 0SBCC ……………….. 000 000 1 — 1 6 1
Limon and Smith; Snyder and Bolanos. W–Snyder 20-2. L–Limon 10-2.
