Trevor Moropoulos pitched a complete game, and Santa Barbara High kept its Channel League title hopes alive with a 13-2 victory over Ventura on Friday at Eddie Mathews Field.
Santa Barbara is now 6-4 in league play (14-10 overall) and tied with Dos Pueblos for second place, percentage points by Buena (5-3); Ventura is 4-4.
“Every league game is critical this year,” reported Dons’ assistant coach Mike Cooney. “A loss today would have put us in fourth place. A win and we’re tied for first with only two league games remaining.
Moropoulos struck out four, walked two and allowed eight hits to earn his fourth win against three losses. At the plate, he had a couple of singles, a RBI and a run scored.
“Trevor settled into a rhythm after the third inning, giving the hitters time to recover from a long cold spell,” said Cooney.
Carter Soto led the Dons offense with a two-out, two-run double in the third to give the Dons their first lead. He added a RBI single off the right-field fence during a six-run 6th. Daniel McKinney had a double and single and two RBIs and two runs.
Santa Barbara travels to Granada Hills High on Saturday for a 2:30 meeting with Newbury Park in the final game of the Chatsworth Tournament.
Ventura…011 000 0 — 2 8 2
Santa Barbara…003 226 X — 13 10 0
Metz, Stuart (3), Eckberg (6), Smithson (6) and Peterson; Moropoulos and Keithley.
W—Mourpoulos (4-3). L—Metz
