Zach Zehner went 2-4 and hit his first homer on Friday, leading SBCC to a 14-8 baseball victory over Hancock in Santa Maria.
The freshman right fielder had a two-run homer in the third and a run-scoring double in the fourth as the Vaqueros (10-12, 4-4 WSC) jumped out to a 12-0 lead. He had three RBIs and scored three runs as did Steven Reveles, who went 2-3.
Hancock fell to 5-16 and 2-6.
Danny Nieves (2-3) got the win by going seven innings. He gave up six runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and six walks. The left-hander held the Bulldogs to one hit in the first four innings.
“This was a nice bounce-back win after a tough loss on Thursday,” said coach Jeff Walker. “It was nice to see Zach hit his first homer. This was the first time all year that Danny has gotten run support.”
The Vaqueros had a season-high 14 runs and tied their season high with 14 hits, including six doubles. Every hitter in the lineup had at least one hit. Catcher Colin Eaton was 3-for-5.
SBCC scored five runs in the third and six in the fourth. Joey Epperson had a two-run double in the third. In the fourth, Eli Michaels had an RBI single, then four straight Vaqueros rapped doubles — Laubhan, Reveles, Zehner and Mark Jebbia.
Laubhan’s seventh double of the year drove in two runs, extending the lead to 8-0.
The Vaqueros will play their third game in as many days on Saturday when they host Oxnard at 1 p.m.
SBCC 14, HANCOCK 8
SBCC …….…. 015 602 000 — 14 14 1
Hancock ……. 000 040 040 — 8 9 4
Nieves, Brenna (8), Perez (8) and Eaton; Hernandez, Thomas (4), St. Laurent (4), Dunsmore (9) and Mallory. W–Nieves 2-3. L–Hernandez 0-2.
2B–SB: Epperson, Laubhan, Reveles, Zehner, Jebbia, Gonzalez. H: Cano, Mallory, Muhlethaler, Catibayan. 3B–H: Cano. HR–SB: Zehner (1), 4th inn., one on. H: Spears (1), 8th inn., one on.
