Perlmutter, Lautz combine for 12 RBIs in 25-6 rout

SBCC erupted for 20 runs on 15 hits in the first three innings on Saturday and went on to rout West Los Angeles 25-6 in a nonconference baseball game at Pershing Park.

Joshua Perlmutter, a freshman infielder from Notre Dame High, made a big bang in his first college start, going 5-for-6 with seven RBIs. Leadoff hitter Reinhard Lautz was 3-5 with five RBIs and four runs. Jake Holton went 3-4 with three RBIs and Nicholas Prainito was 3-6 with two RBIs.

The Vaqueros (7-5) improved to 5-0 at home, where they're now batting .395. Navari Julius went 3-4 with three RBIs for the Wildcats (1-11).

Santa Barbara took a 4-0 first-inning lead, then went crazy in the second with 17 batters who produced 13 runs on seven hits, four walks and two errors. Lautz and Perlmutter both had three-run doubles.

"This was my first college start and I wanted to take advantage of it," said Perlmutter, who had one at-bat in the season opener prior to Saturday's game. "I've been working really hard in practice. We had great energy in the first three innings, everyone was really into the game. It made things easy because everyone was confident.

"We needed this game, this is huge for us. I think it's the start of something new. We've had a lot of close games, which we should not be having.

Prainito, a freshman shortstop, homered to left leading off the third. Shane Hersh and John Jensen singled with two outs, then Perlmutter delivered an RBI single and Holton followed with an RBI double into the right-field corner to stretch it to 20-0.

Lautz, who raised his average to .417, was 3-5 in the first four innings, capped by a two-run homer to left that made it 22-0 in the fourth.

The Vaqueros sent 33 batters to the plate and 25 reached base in the first three innings. They finished with 22 hits, including two by Jensen, Phil Quartararo and Mitch Sancier.

"We just came out with some fire and energy," said Lautz. "We beat these guys 7-6 on Thursday but we didn't play great. We had a great practice on Friday and we just wanted to come out here and have fun.

"I can't tell you why we do so much better at home. I guess it's because we love The Persh. We'll get better on the road."

The 25 runs are the most by a Vaquero team in coach Jeff Walker's seven seasons and could be the most in school history. The Vaqueros collected five doubles, a triple and two homers in addition to nine walks.

"It was good to see us score all those runs and win the week," said Walker. "A big day for Perlmutter and Kyle Basch gets his first collegiate win."

Basch, a sophomore right-hander from San Carlos, Calif., was designated to pitch two innings and he allowed one hit with two strikeouts. Five pitchers followed him to the mound and Michael Jacobson tossed three-hit ball in the third, fourth and fifth frames.

"We got a tough win on Thursday and held serve here," Walker noted. "Our guys are more comfortable at home. It's tough to play on the road, no matter who you play. Plus, in nonconference games, you have to travel two or two-plus hours."

The Vaqueros will play three of the next four on the road, starting with a long trek south to Fullerton on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. contest.