Vaqueros start fast, hang on for 10-8 win in season opener

Brett Vansant, a 6-9 right-hander, pitched no-hit ball and struck out five in the first four innings of the season opener. (Photo by JC Corliss / Noozhawk.com)
Brett Vansant, a 6-9 right-hander, pitched no-hit ball and struck out five in the first four innings of the season opener. (Photo by JC Corliss / Noozhawk.com)

SBCC built leads of 7-0 and 10-1 against Napa Valley in its baseball season opener on Friday afternoon, then survived a seven-run eighth to beat The Storm 10-8 at Pershing Park.

Center fielder Nicholas Trifiletti went 3-5 with three RBIs and three runs. The freshman from Linewood, N.J. belted a two-run homer in the third and Shane Hersh followed with an RBI single to make it 7-0.

Brett Vansant, a 6-9 right-hander who transferred from Western Kentucky, got the start and went the first four innings, allowing no runs and no hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Yeager George pitched one-hit ball and struck out three in the next two innings to pick up the win.

Leadoff hitter Reinhard Lautz was 2-5 and drove in three runs while Hersh was 3-3 with two RBIs and reached base four times.

The Vaqueros went ahead 10-1 with three runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Lautz and a sacrifice fly by John Jensen. Napa scored seven times in the top of the eighth and pulled within two at 10-8 on a two-run single by Josh Abraham.

David Appleby struck out pitched the ninth and struck out the last two batters for the save.

The same teams will meet on Saturday at Pershing Park with the first pitch at 1 p.m.