No.2 Santa Barbara Tops No.3 Hancock 8-3 in First Place Battle

A four-run third inning by the Vaqueros was too much to overcome for the Allan Hancock College baseball team in an 8-3 loss at Santa Barbara in a battle of ranked teams on Saturday.

The Bulldogs, who are ranked No.3 in Southern California, suffered their first Western State Conference loss of the season. They are 2-1 in conference and 12-4-1 overall. Santa Barbara, which is ranked No.2, improved to 3-0 in WSC action and 14-3 for the season. Hancock has a chance to split the series on Tuesday when it hosts the Vaqueros. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.

Santa Barbara got to Hancock starting pitcher Ryan Bower for three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Third baseman Ryan Bendele's error allowed the first two runs of the game to score. All three runs in the frame were unearned.

Hancock got on the board in the third when Felipe Gonzalez singled to left field to drive in Ryan Welker to cut the deficit to 3-1.

However, the Vaqueros scored four in the third inning against Bower on three hits, two walks and a hit batsman.

Bower suffered his first loss of the season and fell to 4-1. The sophomore allowed three hits over three innings. The Lompoc High School graduate walked three and struck out three. He was charged with seven runs, four of which were earned.  Cabrillo High graduate Henry Fienga pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief. The freshman allowed four hits and one run. Jesse Clingman pitched the final 1 1/3 innings in shutout fashion for Hancock.

Hancock rallied for two runs in the fifth when Welker walked with two outs. Jacob Witkowski was hit by a pitch. Gonzalez followed with a base hit to the left-center field gap to drive in both runners to make it a four-run deficit. Hancock did not get any closer.

Gonzalez, a sophomore from Santa Ynez High School, collected three of Hancock's five hits in the game. Welker and Witkowski each had one base hit.

The Vaqueros collected eight hits. Patrick O'Brien and Trey Barrett had two hits apiece. Spencer Erdman had three RBI.