SBCC erupted for eight runs in the second inning on Tuesday and went on to beat Bakersfield 12-2 in a five-inning softball game at Pershing Park.
The Vaqueros (1-1) sent 12 batters to the plate in the second frame and piled up six hits and two walks. An error on a grounder by Natalie Orosco opened the floodgates and led to seven unearned runs. Ten of the Vaqueros’ 12 runs were unearned.
Second baseman Amanda Caras went 2-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Caras and winning pitcher Victoria Lucido each had two hits in the second inning. Lucido, Danielle deCastro and Alice Cen all had two-run singles.
“It felt pretty to good to score eight runs in one inning, especially after we didn’t score any on Saturday,” said Caras, a freshman from Gardnerville, Nev. “We were swinging the bats much harder today. We were more aggressive all around.”
Tianna Velasquez also drove in a pair of runs for the Vaqueros, who scored four more in the fourth on a single, a walk and two errors.
“We focused and really concentrated at the plate,” said coach Paula Congleton. “We worked on that hard in practice on Monday in the batting cage. I kept telling them to swing the bats hard. When we do that, good things happen.
“We took advantage of their walks and errors. We have six freshmen in the starting lineup and they settled down today. Those first-game jitters are behind us.”
Lucido, a freshman left-hander, and Alexandra Abbott combined on a three-hitter. Lucido allowed no runs on two hits in three innings.
The Vaqueros will host two strong opponents on Saturday, taking on No. 6 Canyons at 10:30 a.m. and No. 1 and defending state champion Cypress at 2:30 p.m.
(5 inn., run rule)
Bakersfield …… 000 20 — 2 3 4
SBCC .…………. 080 4x — 12 7 1
Peterson, Best (3) and Rice, Charles (4); Lucido, Abbott (4) and Lujano, Hargrave (4). W–Lucido 1-0. L–Peterson 0-1.
