RIDGECREST – The SBCC baseball team extended to its longest win streak in six years on Saturday, holding on to defeat Cerro Coso on the road 9-8.
The Vaqueros (7-0) continued their incredible opening month of the season, bouncing back from an early 4-2 deficit and scoring seven unanswered runs that turned out to be the difference. They also ended the Coyotes' (6-4) four-game win streak.
SBCC got out to a good start offensively, seeing its first three batters reach third base. Second baseman Daniel Hirose's leadoff single led to him scoring the opening run on a balk. First baseman Presley Kosciusko later scored on a JP Boyle sac fly before the inning ended on a double play.
Cerro Coso scored half of its runs in the bottom half of the first, putting up four runs on four hits. The Coyotes added three more runs over the next two innings to take a commanding 7-2 lead.
Santa Barbara got one back in the top of the fifth, with Shane Lamas scoring on a wild pitch. The whole game then turned around in the top of the sixth.
Still trailing 7-3, things didn't start well as the Vaqueros' first two batters grounded out. They were perfect when they needed to be though, with five hits and a walk on their next six at bats.
Sebastian Arguelles singled, stole second and scored on a Jack Johnson double. Johnson then scored on a single by Lamas. After being walked, Daniel Hirose joined Lamas at home plate via a Tyler Imbach triple to tie the game at 7-7. Presley Kosciusko hit an RBI single on the next at bat, giving SBCC its first lead since the opening inning.
The Coyotes didn't give up a single hit in the seventh, but they did give up one more run to double SBCC's lead, as two walks were followed by an error that Walsh scored on to make it 9-7.
Cerro Coso pulled back within one run in the bottom of the seventh, but pitchers Jordan Rico and Charlie Adamson helped put the game to bed by keeping the home side scoreless over the final two innings. SBCC is now one win away from tying its longest win streak since winning eight straight during the 2017 season.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the two teams will play again, this time at SBCC's Pershing Park. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
