Cuesta jumped out to a 14-1 lead after four innings of Thursday’s WSC North game, then held on for a 14-10 victory in San Luis Obispo.
The Cougars (17-15, 11-5) beat the two-time defending champion Vaqueros (17-15, 9-7) for the second time in three days to extend their lead in the conference race. Cuesta, winners of seven straight, has a two-game advantage over SBCC with four games remaining.
Zach Zehner went 2-4 and his three-run homer capped a five-run fifth inning for the Vaqueros. Zehner is No. 4 in the WSC North with a .370 average and No. 5 in the state with 35 RBIs. Santa Barbara scored four more in the ninth, highlighted by Tony Simon’s two-run single, and had the tying run on deck when the final out was recorded.
Cuesta starter Andrew Nelson gave up five earned runs in seven innings to improve to 9-4. SBCC’s Brendon Shoemake (4-3) surrendered 10 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings on eight hits and four walks. Catcher Parker Hindle was 3-5 with three RBIs for the Cougars.
Second baseman Brett Sesma went 2-4 with two RBIs and three runs for the Vaqueros.
SBCC travels to Oxnard on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.
BOX SCORE
SBCC …….… 000 150 004 — 10 9 3
Cuesta …….. 354 200 00x — 14 17 2
Shoemake, Neustadt (3), Lambert (7) and Dinges; Nelson, Peterson (8), Mullen (9), Beck (9) and Hindle. W–Nelson 9-4. L–Shoemake 4-3.
2B–C: Domingues, Hindle, Stuart 2, Ruggles. HR–SB: Zehner (2), 5th inn., two on
