SBCC was playing its third baseball game in four days on Friday but that didn’t faze the offense, which erupted for 12 runs on 12 hits in a 12-1 WSC North victory at L.A. Pierce.
The Vaqueros (20-16, 12-8), who finished second in conference behind Cuesta, end the regular season on a three-game win streak. Pierce finishes at 13-23 and 7-13.
SBCC swept the season series with the Brahmas 4-0 and outscored them by a combined 50-17.
Tyler Sharp went 2-3 with two runs and Brett Sesma was 1-2 with two RBIs. Michael Monteleone, a freshman from Santa Barbara High, went 1-1 with a two-run double in the eighth.
Tyler Gilbert, the first of five SBCC hurlers, pitched three innings of scoreless ball to improve to 9-1. He didn’t allow a hit and struck out three. Stephen Foote followed with two innings of no-run, no-hit ball.
The Vaquero pitching staff allowed just one homer in 36 games and had the best ERA in conference play (3.27).
SBCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third on a double by Tony Simon, an RBI single by Sharp, a sacrifice fly by Andy Smith and a run-scoring single by Steven Reveles.
For the first time in the history of the program, the Vaqueros will compete in the 18-team Southern Cal Regional for a third straight year. They’ll most likely play a first-round game on the road on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The pairings will be announced on Sunday.
“It was nice to end our conference season on a high note,” said coach Jeff Walker. “We played well and got a 20-win season for the second straight year.”
BOX SCORE
SBCC …..….….… 030 041 022 — 12 12 0
L.A. Pierce ….….. 000 001 000 — 1 3 4
Gilbert, Foote (4), Neustadt (6), Villegas (8), Van Aken (9) and Dinges, Crowe (6); Keene, McWilliams (3), Blakely (6), Chavez (8), Bell (9) and McFaddin. W–Gilbert 9-1. L–Keene 0-4.
2B–SB: Simon, Sesma, Monteleone. P: McFaddin.
