Vaqueros drop two at Bakersfield Tourney

Christal Vierra hit her 2nd homer of the year in a 9-8 loss to Bakersfield.
Christal Vierra hit her 2nd homer of the year in a 9-8 loss to Bakersfield.

SBCC gave up 21 runs on Sunday and lost its final two games at the Bakersfield Tournament.

Bakersfield handed the Vaqueros a heartbreaking 9-8 loss on a homer in the bottom of the sixth. The game was called right after that due to the two-hour time limit. Saddleback beat the Vaqueros 12-3 in a five-inning game.

The Vaqueros (11-11) went 1-3 in the tourney.

"We allowed 32 runs this weekend and that's too many," said coach Paula Congleton. "We had a lot of mental errors and a few physical ones. We didn't hit the ball well all weekend.

"There's three components to the game – pitching, hitting and defense – and we never had two of them going at the same time."

Christal Vierra and Emma Nordin both went 2-3 in the first game. Vierra drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the first inning. The Vaqueros scored twice in the fourth to pull within 5-4 but the Renegades (7-15) added three more to make it 8-4.

Santa Barbara rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Alice Cen had a two-run double, Vierra followed with an RBI single and the tying run scored when Danielle de Castro drew a bases-loaded walk.

Brenna Vasquez homered to lead off the bottom of the sixth and the game was called due to the time limit.

Bree Beatty pitched a four-hitter for Saddleback (16-9) in the second game. Amanda Caras had a two-run double during the third inning when the Vaqueros scored three to cut the deficit to 7-3.

The Vaqueros return to WSC play on Tuesday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Oxnard.