Daniel McKinney hit his third homer of the Anaheim Lions Tournament and went 3-for-4 Wednesday but it wasn’t enough as Santa Barbara High fell to Rocklin, 5-3.
Starter Kevin Gowdy gave up two runs in the first inning but wasn’t involved in the decision as the Dons tied the game in the third inning on a RBI singles by McKinney and Dalton Schroeder.
Rocklin took the lead for good against Santa Barbara’s bullpen, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth.
“Despite gritty efforts from our JV call-ups, we lack the pitching depth needed to succeed when playing six games in five days,” said Santa Barbara assistant coach Mike Cooney.
McKinney’s homer was his fourth of the season. He had two RBI on the day to highlight the offense for Santa Barbara. Schroeder added two singles.
The Dons (9-7) are idle until resuming Channel League play against San Marcos on April 14.
“We expect to be competitive the rest of the season and especially in the well-balanced Channel league,” said Cooney.
