Brandon Laubhan broke open a tight game with three-run triple in the ninth on Saturday, sending SBCC to a 9-4 baseball win over Saddleback in the opener of a doubleheader in Mission Viejo.
The Gauchos (3-2) took the nightcap 6-2, holding the Vaqueros (3-3) to five hits. SBCC took two of three in the three-game series.
“When you win two of three from an Orange Empire team in their yard, that’s a good thing,” said coach Jeff Walker. “I was happy with our performance this weekend.“
Eli Michaels led off the first game with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. The sophomore outfielder went 2-4 with four runs scored, extending his hitting streak to five games.
Pat Cavalier knocked in two runs with a sacrifice fly in the third and an RBI single in the fifth that stretched the lead to 4-1. Saddleback cut the deficit to 5-4 with a run in the eighth before the Vaqueros pulled away with four in the ninth.
Laubhan had two hits and Steven Reveles produced two doubles.
Left-hander Rich McCaffrey (1-0) went 6 1/3 innings for his first win, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
In the second game, the Vaqueros fell behind 4-1 after three innings. Freshman Jared Dinges went 2-3 in his first start at catcher.
The Vaqueros travel to L.A. Pierce on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. game.
SBCC 9, SADDLEBACK 4
First Game
SBCC ….……….. 101 110 014 — 9 12 2
Saddleback ……. 100 000 210 — 4 11 2
McCaffrey, Benenati (7), Turner (9) and Eaton; Selecky, Tereschuk (7), Friedberg (8) and Ferret. W–McCaffrey 1-0. L–Selecky 0-1.
2B–SB: Gonzalez, Reveles 2. S: Casas, Viera. 3B–SB: Michaels, Laubhan.SADDLEBACK 6, SBCC 2
Second Game
SBCC ….………… 010 010 000 — 2 5 3
Saddleback …….. 103 200 00x — 6 10 2
Nieves, Foote (7) and Dinges; Stubbs, Ham and Ferret. W–Stubbs 1-0. L–Nieves 0-1.
2B–S: Fuentes, Casas, Baca.
