Oxnard downs Vaqueros 4-2 in battle for first

Blake Redman tossed a complete game on Thursday and walks came back to haunt SBCC in a 4-2 WSC North baseball loss to Oxnard.

The Condors (18-5-1), ranked No. 4 in Southern Cal, moved back into sole possession of first in conference at 12-4. The fifth-ranked Vaqueros (18-6, 11-5) are one game back with eight to play. SBCC and Oxnard split their season series 2-2 with each winning twice on the opponent's field.

Redman gave up two runs on six hits to improve to 9-0. He's 10th in the state with a 1.38 ERA. Sean Barry went 7 2/3 innings for the Vaqueros, allowing two runs on just one hit with eight strikeouts and three walks. Barry is No. 17 on the state ERA chart at 1.51.

Three of Oxnard's four runs scored after reaching on walks.

Barry walked the first two batters of the game and they both scored on Jeremy Alvarado's single to left. The game settled into a pitching duel and it was still 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

"Sean did a nice job of settling in after the first," said coach Jeff Walker. "It's tough to play from behind most of the game after spotting them a 2-0 lead. That's the second time we've done that against them, which is disappointing for me to see. The bottom line is it was a well-played game on both ends and they won the strike-throwing contest. We walked guys and they benefitted from that."

Redman retired 10 in a row before Connor McManigal drew a walk with one out in the seventh. Jake Gagain cashed in the Vaqueros' first run with a double down the left-field line and Gagain tied it 2-2 on Spencer Erdman's clutch two-out RBI single on a 3-2 pitch.

"Redman was outstanding and he's been doing it for two years," Walker stated. "He competes and he throws strikes."

Barry retired 18 straight from the second to the eighth innings. He walked the No. 9 hitter Trevor Inouye with two outs in the eighth and was lifted for reliever Jake Keily. Keily got out of the inning by getting a flyout to center on the first pitch.

Oxnard rallied in the eighth with a one-out single by Daniel Barnett, a walk to Alvarado and an RBI single by Tyson Quolas. The next batter walked to load the bases and Keily walked Nick Morelli to force in the fourth run.

Santa Barbara will play its third game in four days on Friday when it hosts Cuesta at 2:30 p.m.