Vaqueros Fall to Allan Hancock in Competitive Back-and-Forth Battle

SANTA BARBARA – The SBCC baseball team got into a testy back-and-forth affair with Allan Hancock on Tuesday afternoon at Pershing Park, which ended in a 9-6 win for the Bulldogs.

The Vaqueros move to a record of 21-13 overall and 14-7 in WSC play, while the Bulldogs improve to 20-18 overall, 10-12 conference.

NOTABLE

• Catcher Tyler Imbach had three RBI for the second time this season to lead SBCC, all of which came on a big three-run double in the seventh inning, the last scoring play of the day for the Vaquero offense. He finished with two hits for the sixth time this year and added a walk.
• Shortstop Gabe Baldavino had two of SBCC's nine hits as well to go along with a run and one RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED

1st-4th Innings (0-0 Tie)

• Allan Hancock had runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, but the Vaquero defense stepped up each time. SBCC got out of inning one with a pickoff and a groundout to leave two Bulldogs on base.
• In the second, the Vaqueros went with an intentional walk to load the bases with two outs on the board. On the very next pitch, they got out of the hole with a groundout to short.
• It was much of the same in the top of the third, as SBCC ended it with a 5-4-3 double play with runners after the Bulldogs put runners on first and third.
• Unfortunately, the Vaqueros couldn't take advantage of the stellar defensive plays, going scoreless with two hits and two walks of their own.

5th Inning (4-3 AHC)

• Everything changed in the fifth inning, as the two sides combined for seven runs. The Bulldogs started off with four runs on five hitsm capitalizing on two SBCC errors.
• The Vaqueros immediately answered with three runs on four hits. Ricardo Amavizca hit an RBI single through the left side to bring in a run from Pearce Blaney. Owen Crevelt scored on a wild pitch and Amavizca scored on a Gabe Baldavino single to make it 4-3 in favor of AHC.

6th-7th Innings (7-6 AHC)

• A balk brought in a run for Allan Hancock in the sixth inning and that was followed by a two-run homer over left field by second baseman Jacob Ruley to put the visitors back up by four runs.
• Once again, the Vaqueros answered with another 3-0 run of their own, as Imbach needed one pitch to hit his big three-run double hard down the right field line, bringing SBCC within one, 7-6.

9th Inning (9-6 AHC)

• The Bulldogs added some separation with a sacrifice fly RBI and another run in the top of the second, making it 9-6.
• The Vaqueros made it interesting late as Mark Hernandez earned a walk and Imbach singled, but that would be all as the final play ended things with a fly out to center field.

NEXT UP
SBCC will be back at Pershing Park this Thursday, April 29 for a 2:30 p.m. home game against LA Pierce that was originally scheduled to be played in Los Angeles.