SANTA BARBARA, CA – The SBCC softball team opened its year on Saturday with a 3-2 win over Riverside, scoring two fourth inning runs on a bunt by freshman Alexia Ayala to pull away for good.
The Vaquero defense got out to a good start to the season, holding a team under three runs for the sixth time since the start of last year. It also helped flip the script from the two teams' last meeting in 2022, which ended with the exact same score in Riverside's favor.
The Tigers opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo home run down the left field line by Sarah Franco-Colis.
The Vaqs quickly tied it in the bottom of the second by taking advantage of some Tiger mistakes. Facing two outs, Mackenzie Ensign reached first on an error before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Then, Ayala registered SBCC's only hit of the inning, an RBI single to center that brought Ensign home.
Santa Barbara would tally a hit in all but one inning, ending with a 7-5 edge. The Vaqueros found their most success with three straight hits in the fourth, beginning with leadoff singles by Mellanie Barth and Ensign. Ayala then stepped up to drop a bunt single as Barth came in for the go-ahead run. Another Tiger error on the same play allowed Ensign to make it 3-1.
Riverside pulled within a run scoring on a passed ball in the fifth, but the visitors would get shut down in the final two innings as sophomore Lauren Indermuehle moved into the circle and held them without a hit the rest of the way.
Newcomer Joslyn Soinila earned the win in her first start, giving up just one earned run in five innings while Indermuehle got the save.
SBCC will be on the road for two straight doubleheaders, the first of which will be played at LA Valley on Friday, Feb. 3 starting at 12:00 p.m.
