Pirates top Vaqueros 5-2 to force decisive Game 3

Orange Coast used strong pitching from left-hander Dominic Purpura and homers by Tommy Bell and Stefan Panayiotou to post a 5-2 baseball win over SBCC on Saturday that evened the best-of-3 Southern Cal Sectional series at 1-1.

Game 3 will be played Sunday at noon at Pershing Park with a trip to the CCCAA State Tournament on the line.

The 10th-seeded Pirates (26-17) are the second team to hit two homers in a game off SBCC this year and the first one to win after the Vaqueros scored first. No. 3 SBCC (33-10) had allowed just four homers in 41 games coming into this series. They've given up three in the last two days.

SBCC is now 24-1 when scoring the first run in a game, as they did on Saturday when they were the designated visitors. Cam Jones drew a walk to lead off the game, went to second on an infield hit by Matt Henderson and scored on James Hill's RBI single through the left side. Santa Barbara had runners at first and third with one out but the threat ended on a strikeout and an alert play by catcher Jack Kruger, who faked a throw to second base and caught Henderson off third for the final out.

Seven Vaqueros reached third base but only one scored. Purpura, a 6-4 sophomore left-hander, went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits with six strikeouts, three walks and three hit batters.

"Their guy pitched well when it mattered and we didn't get the timely hitting," said SBCC coach Jeff Walker. "They came out ready to play and did a good job of answering back after we scored in the first. We could have tacked on a couple more in the first but we made some mistakes."

Hill went 3-4 for the Vaqueros, Spencer Erdman was 2-4 and Henderson reached base four straight times on a hit, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Leading 5-1 in the eighth, Purpura loaded the bases with two outs after hitting Henderson, Connor McManigal and Jake Gagain with pitches. Reliever Jack Pabich came in and struck out Brandon Evans.

"Their pitcher was locating the ball low and we like to capitalize on mistakes up," noted Henderson. "He got us into some disadvantaged counts and we couldn't really put it together.

"It's hard to lose two at the Persh and we've got good vibes all around. We're ready to get after it tomorrow."

SBCC is 20-5 at home this season.

Justin Bruce (8-2) went 7.2 innings for the Vaqueros, giving up five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and four walks. He had allowed just four runs in his previous 31 innings. He walked the leadoff man in the first and fourth and both came around to score. The defending state champs took a 2-1 lead on a suicide squeeze bunt by Cheneng Varela that scored Robert Longtree.

The Vaqueros got runners to second and third with one out in the sixth but pinch-hitters Gagain and Jack Gregson both struck out.

Bell homered to left with one out in the sixth to make it 3-1. Pinch hitter Mondesi Gutierrez got an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and Panayiotou drilled a homer over the right-field fence for a 5-1 lead.

"This is what you play for -- a Game 3 or a Game 7 at the professional level," said Walker. "We're a prideful group and Orange Coast has an outstanding program. It's going to be exciting. Playing a Game 3 at home is a good deal."

Left-hander Lucas Jacobsen, who combined with Ian Clark and Davis Messer on a 4-0 shutout in last Sunday's Game 3 vs. Fullerton, will be on the mound for the Vaqueros.