SBCC found its timely hitting on Friday at Pershing Park, rapping out 12 hits in an 11-3 WSC North baseball win over L.A. Pierce.
The Vaqueros (11-11, 5-4) moved back into first in a four-way tie atop the conference. Pierce fell to 8-15 and 3-6.
Andy Smith led off the sixth inning with an inside-the-park homer to right center, boosting the lead to 6-2. Smith went 2-4 with two runs and two RBIs in his first start of the year at third base.
“First pitch fastball in the 9-hole (9th batter), that’s pretty much what you expect to get,” said Smith, of his inside-the-park homer. “I stayed middle with it and it just carried.
“I guess the center fielder tripped or something, I had no idea why I was being waved home but I was happy I made it. We did a good job of taking good team at-bats today and did exactly what the game asked us to do.”
Zach Zehner went 3-5 with two RBIs and Tony Simon was 2-4 with three RBIs.
Freshman left-hander Tyler Gilbert (5-1) turned in a solid performance, going eight innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.
“That was an outstanding effort by Tyler and a great pick-me-up boost,” said coach Jeff Walker. “He threw up a lot of zeroes, even after we batted for a while in a few innings.
“It’s been an interesting two days — we turned a triple play yesterday and saw an inside-the-park homer today.”
The Vaqueros broke open a 1-1 game with four runs in the fourth on run-scoring singles by Steven Reveles and Payton Milone, followed by a two-run single to right by Simon.
Reveles was 2-5 and had three of the Vaqueros’ eight stolen bases. SBCC has 14 stolen bases in the last two days, boosting its state-leading total to 67, which is 11 more than Feather River.
Reveles swiped six bases in the last two days to rise to No. 1 in California with 23.
“It was a good bounce-back effort to finish off the week,” Walker added. “We were searching all week to find a guy to get the timely hit. As typically happens, once one guy does it, it puts pressure on the defense and it gets a little easier for others to do it.”
Santa Barbara scored five more in the seventh, capped by a two-run single from Zehner, who’s second in the conference with a .395 batting average.
The Vaqueros travel to Glendale on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. nonconference game.
BOX SCORE
L.A. Pierce …… 010 001 100 — 3 7 3
SBCC …………. 001 401 50x — 11 12 1
Blakely, Keene (5), Achez (7), Feldman (8) and D’Andrea; Gilbert, Foote (9) and Dinges. W–Gilbert 5-1. L–Blakely 1-2.
2B–LAP: Colon, Sawelson, Ramirez. HR–SB: Smith (1), 6th inn., none on.
