Richter’s back-to-back 3-run blasts help Vaqueros earn split

Alyssa Richter blasted back-to-back 3-run home runs to open the second game on Tuesday as SBCC split a WSC North softball doubleheader with Moorpark. The Raiders won the first game 5-3 and the Vaqueros took the nightcap 13-6.

Richter, a freshman third baseman from Brighton, Colo., went 3-4 in the second game with two homers, six RBIs and three runs. Richter has four homers and 13 RBIs in the last four games. She's batting .402 and leads the Vaqueros with eight homers and 37 RBIs. First baseman Madison McNamee was 4-4 with two doubles, an RBI and three runs.

McNamee went 6-8 on the day with three RBIs and four runs. She raised her team-high average to .514 (10th in the state) and her slugging percentage to .843 (18th in the state).

The Vaqueros (16-13, 9-7) erupted for 13 runs on 15 hits and knocked out started Caitlin Vinyard in the fifth inning.

"I struggled in the first game, so I just wanted to make sure I had good solid swings and tried to hit the ball up the middle," said Richter. "Deep to left-center is kind of my spot (where both homers went over the fence). I was looking for a pitch I could drive.

"We came together in the second game and played solid defense behind our pitcher. We got the hits when we needed them and also made the plays in the field.

Vinyard (14-6) tossed a five-hitter in the first game with 11 strikeouts. McNamee hit a two-run homer in the fifth for a 2-0 Vaquero lead. She was 2-4 in the opener with her fourth homer, a double and two RBIs. Leadoff  hitter Sydney Townes was 2-4 and scored twice.fif

Moorpark (14-9-1, 8-5) struck back in the bottom of the fifth with three runs on a two-run double by Celeste Martinez and an RBI single from Jazmin Macias. The visitors stretched it to 5-2 in the seventh on a two-run homer by Lacey Smollen.

McNamee reached base in seven of eight at-bats.

"Maddie was on fire today, it felt like she was on-base every time today," said coach Paula Congleton. "In our terms, we like to say she owned those pitchers today. And Ally did a great job with back-to-back 3-run homers.

"The difference between today's games and when we played them at their place (in a 9-1 loss) was discipline at the plate. Their pitcher struck us out 14 times down there. Today, we talked about staying off the riseball and she'll bring it in the zone."

Congleton praised her pitchers, Calista Wendell and Rebecca Pullen. Pullen tossed all seven innings of the second game, giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits to even her record at 5-5.

The Vaqueros host Bakersfield on Friday at 1 p.m.