Eli Michael slides into home plate. He helped tie the game with a double in the sixth inning.
SBCC limited Moorpark to four hits on Saturday, but two errors led to two unearned runs in a 4-2 baseball loss at Moorpark.
It was the third straight loss for the Vaqueros (11-15, 5-7 WSC North), who collected six hits. Zach Mercer pitched a strong seven innings for the Raiders (12-15, 7-5), giving up just one run on four hits with five strikeouts.
Joey Gonzalez’s first-inning single was the only hit for SBCC in the first five innings. The Raiders turned 6-4-3 double plays to end the second and third innings.
“Mercer threw well and they followed up with another good pitcher in (Michael) Coates,” said SBCC coach Jeff Walker. “We’re not playing bad, we’re just not hitting the ball right now.”
Moorpark took a 1-0 lead in the first on a single, an infield error and a double play that scored Nick Rogowski. The Vaqueros tied it in the sixth on a double by Eli Michaels and a two-out single by Joey Epperson.
The Raiders went ahead 3-1 in the seventh. With runners on second and third, Martin Orozco laid down a squeeze bunt that scored Taylor Khanowitch. Aaron Martinez also scored on the play when SBCC starter Danny Nieves threw the ball past first base.
SBCC pulled within 3-2 in the eighth when Brandon Laubhan led off with a triple and scored on a single by Jared Dinges. Moorpark got a run in the bottom of the inning after Shane Turner walked two and hit the next two batters.
Santa Barbara will play a pair of nonconference games on Tuesday at Glendale and Wednesday at Riverside. Glendale is ranked No. 5 in Southern Cal and Riverside is No. 9.
LINE SCORE:
SBCC ……….. 000 001 010 — 2 6 2
Moorpark …… 100 000 21x — 4 4 0
Nieves, Benenati (7), Turner (8), Shoemake (8) and Dinges; Mercer, Coates (8) and Bishop. W–Mercer 3-2. L–Nieves 2-4. Save–Coates 2.
2B–SB: Michaels. M: Bishop, Martinez. 3B–SB: Laubhan.
Records–SB: 11-15, 5-7 WSC North; MC: 12-15, 7-5.
