Bulldogs Open WSC Action with 5-2 Win at Cuesta College

Ryan Bendele collected three hits, Cayman Hoggard slugged a home run and Nathan Thompson threw five effective innings to lead the Allan Hancock College baseball team to a 5-2 win at Cuesta College in both teams' Western State Conference openers on Tuesday afternoon.

The Bulldogs who are ranked third in the Southern California Regional Poll improved to 11-3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference. Cuesta dropped to 4-10 on the season and 0-1 in conference. The two Central Coast rivals continue their series on Thursday at Allan Hancock College at 2 p.m.

The bulldogs got on the board in the first inning when Jacob Witkowski scored on an infield single and an errant throw by shortstop Steven Pico. The Cougars tied it in the bottom half when Pico drew a walk with the bases loaded against Thompson to force in Jordaan Salas. It was the third walk of the inning issued by Thompson.

The Santa Ynez High School graduate settled down from there. He allowed two hits and one earned run in five innings. He walked six hitters and struck out two. The sophomore improved to 4-0 on the season. Jesse Posey threw the final four innings of relief to earn his first save. He allowed one unearned run in the eighth inning. The freshman scattered three hits, two walks and fanned four.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good with two runs in the second inning. Cameron Ketchen hit a sacrifice fly to right field to allow Zach Nyman, who had singled earlier, to score to make it 2-1 Hancock. Ryan Welker followed with a single to drive in Evan Aguilar.

Hancock added another run in the third inning on a RBI-single from Hoggard to score Ryan Bendele to make it 4-1. Hoggard hit a solo-home run in the fifth inning, his first of the season, to give Hancock a commanding 5-1 edge.

Hoggard finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBI on the day. Nyman went 2 for 4 and scored once. Ketchen also collected two hits and an RBI. Bendele went 3 for 5 to lead Hancock's 12-hit attack. The Righetti High School graduate collected two singles and one double.

Evan Peterson took the loss for the Cougars. The Templeton High School graduate allowed 12 hits and five runs, four of them were earned, in seven innings. He walked two and struck out four. He fell to 2-4 on the season.