Matuszak’s Bat Sparks Vaqueros’ Offense in Win Over Oxnard

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Will Matuszak went 4-for-5 with three doubles and five RBIs Friday afternoon, leading Santa Barbara City College to a 12-1 win over Oxnard College at Pershing Park.

The Vaquero shortstop raised his batting average to .340 and increased his team-leading RBI total to 34. Matuszak was one of six Vaqueros to drive in a run, as SBCC picked up its fourth straight win and improved to 23-12 overall and 15-6 in the Western State Conference.

Nick Putnam continued to shine at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Logen Seeger and Benjamin Strutt also added two RBIs apiece. Strutt swiped two of Santa Barbara's six stolen bases on the day, moving the team into second in the conference with 111.

Michael Firestone, starting in center field for the second straight game, had three hits, scored four runs, and stole two bases.

"I'm feeling really confident in the box," Firestone said. "I struggled a little earlier in the season with my confidence. Recently, with a lot of my teammates' help, I'm starting to feel like myself again."

Koehn Thomas pitched four and one-third hitless innings in the start for the Vaqueros, striking out four and allowing four walks. Max McGrady earned the win in relief, tossing 3 and two-thirds scoreless innings and fanning five.

Santa Barbara heads on the road for the final three games of the regular season, beginning Tuesday at Ventura College.