Right-hander David Murillo held SBCC to one unearned run on five hits on Tuesday, leading first-place Cuesta to an 8-1 baseball win over the Vaqueros in San Luis Obispo.
The Cougars (16-3, 6-0 WSC), ranked No. 2 in Southern California, extended their win streak to 16 games. Joey Gonzalez went 2-3 for the Vaqueros (9-11, 3-3) and Joey Epperson extended his hitting streak to eight games.
Gonzalez, Brandon Laubhan and Pat Cavalier had doubles for SBCC, which entered the game tied for second in the WSC North. The Vaqueros got their only run in the eighth when Gonzalez was hit by a pitch and scored on an infield error.
Murillo went eight innings, striking out six with two walks. Cuesta leads the WSC in team ERA at 2.73. SBCC starter Brendon Shoemake lasted only two innings, giving up five runs on four hits with three first-inning walks.
Right fielder Cody Lavalli was 3-for-5 for the Cougars with two doubles and a three-run homer in the first. He drove in four runs.
Cuesta led 6-0 after three innings.
“They’re a good team that hasn’t lost since early February,“ said coach Jeff Walker. “We didn’t have our ‘A game’ today.“
The Vaqueros will play three games in three days, starting Thursday when they host Cuesta at 2:30 p.m.
SBCC ……. 000 000 010 — 1 5 4
Cuesta …… 321 002 00x — 8 8 2
Shoemake, Foote (3), Oshima (6), Nieves (8) and Dinges, Eaton ( ). Murillo, Nelson (9) and Nieporte. W–Murillo 4-1. L–Shoemake 4-3.
2B–SB: Gonzalez, Laubhan, Cavalier. C: Detz, Lavalli. 3B–C: Miller. HR–C: Lavalli (2), 1st inn., two on.
