The first four batters in SBCC’s lineup went 8-for-12 with five RBIs and seven runs on Friday as the Vaqueros capped a busy week with a 10-1 baseball romp over Cuesta at Pershing Park.
Leadoff hitter Cam Jones was 3-4 and scored three runs for the Vaqueros, who put up a 6-spot in the fourth to boost the lead to 10-1. Matt Henderson was 3-3 with two runs and catcher Jimmy Hill went 2-3 with three RBIs and two runs.
“Offensively, our approach was the same as it is every day – be on time with the fastball, get guys on, get ‘em over and get ‘em in,” said Hill.
SBCC, ranked fifth in Southern Cal, went 3-1 on the week and improved to 19-6 overall and 12-5 in the WSC North, a half-game behind the leader, Oxnard. The Vaqueros are 12-2 at home this year and reached double-digits in runs for the seventh time.
Dustin Miller went 2-4 for Cuesta (12-13, 9-6) but the Cougars managed just five hits and only three in the final eight innings.
Justin Bruce (5-1) went seven innings for the win, giving up one run on five hits. He lowered his ERA to 1.73, which is fourth-best in the WSC North. Bruce surrendered a run in the first, then got in a groove and retired 10 in a row. Cuesta got leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth frames but both runners were erased on double plays, started by Henderson, a sophomore shortstop from Chico.
“Justin is always good,” said Hill. “He pounds the strike zone and gives our guys a chance. He says ‘Here’s my fastball, it’s in the zone, what are you going to do with it?’ And our guys are going to play lights-out defense behind him.”
The Vaqueros were facing one of the state’s top pitchers for the second straight day. Brendan Jenkins brought the state’s No. 2 ERA into the contest (0.50) and hadn’t given up an earned run in conference. Jenkins pitched a 3-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over SBCC on Feb. 26 in San Luis Obispo.
Jenkins (6-2) lasted 3.1 innings, giving up 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits with one strikeout. He had allowed just three earned runs in 53.2 innings this year.
Jones singled in his first three at-bats and was driven in each time by Hill. Hill had an RBI single in the first, a run-scoring double over the center fielder’s head in the third and a bases-loaded walk in the fourth that boosted the margin to 7-1. SBCC scored two more in the inning on a throwing error to the plate and Hill tallied the final run on a sacrifice fly by Jake Gagain.
“This was a good bounceback effort from Thursday (a 4-2 loss to Oxnard),” said coach Jeff Walker. “We gave up one in the first, then answered back against a pretty good pitcher. It was exciting to see us get some big efforts from the top of the lineup with Cam Jones setting the table. And our defense did the rest.
“We won the week and got some positive energy after yesterday’s tough loss.”
Santa Barbara will play three nonconference opponents during Spring Break, starting with a Tuesday game at No. 16 Glendale at 2:30 p.m. Glendale (13-12) leads the WSC South with a 9-2 record.
