Oxnard jumped on Santa Barbara High ace Kevin Gowdy for four runs in the first inning and held on to beat the Dons, 4-3, in a CIF Division 2 baseball playoff opener on Friday in Oxnard.
The Yellowjackets recorded five of their six hits in the bottom of the first. Gowdy was nearly unhittable for the rest of the game. He allowed one hit while facing one more hitter than the minimum.
Santa Barbara’s offense, meanwhile, was contained by Oxnard left-hander Joe Merrill. He allowed two runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings. Lefty Kodi Kroondyk finished the game for the Yellowjackets. He struck out the last batter with runners at second and third.
“Their pitching and defense was outstanding today and they deserved the win,” Santa Barbara assistant coach Mike Cooney said of the Yellowjackets (25-4).
Santa Barbara’s leading hitters were Trevor Moropoulos (2-3, 2 RBI) and Carter Soto (3-4, 2B, 2 1B). Dalton Schroeder drove in the Dons’ first run with a first-inning single.
This was the third meeting between the teams this year, with each winning one game. All three games were decided by one run.
Santa Barbara finishes the year at 16-13.
