SBCC hung with Saddleback for five innings in Sunday’s final day of the 13th annual Bash at the Beach softball tournament and then couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead over Golden West in a pair of losses at Pershing Park.
The Vaqueros fell to 10-19 after dropping two games to Orange Empire teams. Saddleback (17-8) scored six runs in its last two at-bats to beat the Vaqueros 8-3 and won the two-day tourney with a 4-0 record.
Golden West downed SBCC 5-3, thanks to a two-run homer by Marissa Gilbuena in the sixth and two runs in the seventh on a two-base error and an RBI double by Sarah Craig. Craig staked the Rustlers (8-15) to a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the first inning.
El Camino won two games on Sunday and finished second in the nine-team tourney with a 3-1 record. SBCC was 1-3.
Due to long games earlier on Sunday, SBCC’s second game was pushed back to a 5:45 p.m. start and finished under a full moon with the lights on.
“Our kids always wanted to play under the lights and they got their wish tonight,” said coach Paula Congleton. “We’re kind of hot and cold and very inconsistent. If we would have started the game (against Golden West) the way we finished, it would have been a very different outcome.”
Natalie Orosco went 3-4 with a two-run single in the first that gave SBCC a 2-0 lead over Saddleback. The Gauchos tied the game on a two-run homer by Sarah DiTommaso in the fourth.
“We keep trying to teach the kids it’s a seven-inning game, it’s pitch-by-pitch, it’s inning-by-inning and out-by-out,” Congleton added. “Hopefully, with as many losses as we’ve had, it’s starting to sting a little bit. We did some good things this weekend, Natalie hit the ball well and our pitchers did a good job while playing with injuries.“
Saddleback went ahead 5-2 in the sixth on a double, an error, an RBI double by Tiffany McCracken, an RBI groundout and an RBI single by Tori Duquette. DiTommaso hit her second two-run homer in the seventh, stretching the lead to 7-3.
“This was the biggest crowd we’ve had in a few years,” Congleton noted. “The weather was fantastic and the crowds were great. Teams are already asking if they can come back next year.”
SBCC returns to WSC action on Tuesday when it hosts Moorpark at 2:30 p.m.
RESULTS
Saddleback …… 000 203 3 — 8 10 1
SBCC ….………. 200 001 0 — 3 7 2
McCracken, Abounassar (1) and K. Hodges; Abbott, Lucido (5) and Lujano. W–Abounassar 5-5. L–Lucido 7-9.
2B–S: McCracken 2, Pantages, K. Hodge. SBCC: Orosco. HR–S: DiTommaso (2), 4th inn., one on; DiTommaso (3), 7th inn., one on.Golden West ….. 100 002 2 — 5 9 0
SBCC ….……….. 000 210 0 — 3 5 1
Eskridge and Craig; Lucido and Lujano. W–Eskridge 4-7. L–Lucido 7-10.
2B–GW: Gilbuena, Fredrickson, Craig. SBCC: Velasquez. HR–GW: Craig (5), 1st inn., none on; Gilbuena (5), 6th inn., one on.Final records — Saddleback 4-0, El Camino 3-1, Golden West 2-2, East L.A. 2-2, Fullerton 2-2, Chaffey 2-2, SBCC 1-3, L.A. Valley 1-3, L.A. Pierce 1-3.
