It took SBCC a while to get going on Thursday and the Vaqueros finally pushed across three runs in the ninth but came up one run short in a 4-3 WSC North baseball loss at L.A. Pierce.
The Vaqueros managed just five hits vs. three Brahma pitchers. SBCC, ranked No. 7 in Southern Cal, fell to 11-4 overall and 4-3 in conference. Derek Galvin tossed five innings of shutout ball to get the win for Pierce (9-9, 6-3). He gave up two hits while striking out three and walking five.
Sean Barry went 6 2/3 innings for the Vaqueros, giving up three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
The Brahmas took a 3-0 lead after three innings and stretched it to 4-0 in the eighth when Pierce Romero hit Chuck Steele with the bases loaded and two outs.
“We were a little slow coming off the bye (the Vaqueros were playing their first game in a week),” noted coach Jeff Walker. “Our defense let us down today and we couldn’t get the timely hits.”
The Vaqueros had runners on second and third in the first and loaded the bases in the second (both with two outs) but couldn’t score. They loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth. Nic Bereaud reached on an error, Colby Taylor walked and Noeh Martinez singled.
After a strikeout, Bereaud scored on a groundout and Cameron Jones followed with a two-run double to make it 4-3. Eliot Keene came in to pitch and struck out Matt Henderson to end the game.
The same teams will clash on Saturday in a 1 p.m. game at SBCC’s Pershing Park.
