Lauren Bodden belted a solo home run and Lyndsi King delivered a three-run shot on Friday, sparking SBCC to an efficient 8-0, five-inning softball win over L.A. Pierce. The game was over in 55 minutes.
Rebecca Pullen tossed a three-hit shutout and the first-place Vaqueros improved to 27-9 overall and 11-4 in the WSC Gold with three games remaining. The 27 wins are the second-most in school history.
Pullen (11-4) struck out three and didn't walk a batter for the Vaqueros, who took over sole possession of first for the first time this year. They lead Moorpark (10-4) by a half-game.
Santa Barbara, ranked ninth in Southern California, went 3-1 in the last four days and has won seven of its last nine. The Vaqueros are sixth in the state with 277 runs, averaging 7.7 per game. Pierce fell 0-23 and 0-13.
The Vaqueros scored six times in the second on three hits, an error and a hit batter. Bodden led off with a homer to left-center and two more runs scored on an error and a fielder's choice to make it 4-0. King unloaded her second homer to center, scoring Alyssa-Rae Jewell and Christal Vierra and making it 7-0.
"I was just trying to get on-base," said Bodden, a freshman first baseman from Covina High. "When I was waiting to hit, I kept thinking about how hard I was going to hit the ball. I waited for it and just drove it."
The Vaqueros got another run in the fourth when Sydney Townes led off with an infield single, stole second and scored on a single by Vierra. The Vaqueros are 12-4 at home this year.
"Our kids did what they needed to do today," said coach Paula Congleton. "We were very efficient, taking just 55 minutes and getting out of the way for baseball (SBCC played its first softball/baseball doubleheader with softball starting at noon and baseball at 3 p.m.).
"There were a lot of really good positives. We'll take the weekend off, then get in the right mindset for an important doubleheader at Ventura."
The Vaqueros have three games left in the regular season – a doubleheader at Ventura on Tuesday at 1 & 3 p.m. and their final home game vs. Oxnard on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
