Two-Way Nelson's Monster Weekend Powers Vaqueros to Series Win Over Moorpark

By Jimmy Friery

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Baseball team won their two-day, three-game weekend series hosting Moorpark, the first conference games of the year. All three were close, with the Vaqueros taking the "bread" games 7-4 and 8-7 while dropping the middle game 4-3.

After rain earlier in the week altered the schedule, the series was changed to a Saturday doubleheader and one game Sunday—with the Vaqueros as the road team—all at Pershing Park.

Saturday, game one: Santa Barbara 7, Moorpark 4

The first game of Saturday's doubleheader was agreed to be a seven-inning affair. The Vaqueros wound up scoring in five of their six offensive innings, only failing to score in their final, sixth inning.

Grinding it out, the Vaqueros only scored two of their seven runs on hits. Cole Ide's fielder's choice plated a run in the first before Wylan Nelson and Lucas Carlisle's hits scored two in the second. Nelson, the pitcher, allowed two in the top of the third, but an Elias Athanas sac fly made it 4-2 Vaqueros.

Nelson hit a sac fly in the fourth to help his cause. Moorpark scored two unearned runs in the fifth, followed by a Bradley Cekada based-loaded hit-by-pitch and run-scoring wild pitch in the bottom of the frame.

A 1-2-3 top of the seventh ended the game at the 7-4 final. Nelson pitched all seven innings, striking out eight, and was one of three Vaqueros to combine for the team's six hits—him, Carlisle, and Brendon Cekada each had two hits.  

Saturday, game two: Moorpark 4, Santa Barbara 3

In the second game of the doubleheader, Nelson continued his great day with a two-run homer to break the scoreless tie in the third.

A pitchers' duel, Max Collins went 5.2 innings, striking out five and allowing one run. Moorpark tied it with an RBI double and solo homer in the sixth and seventh, respectively.

The Vaqueros immediately countered via Nelson, once again, though. His RBI double in the bottom of the seventh restored the lead—3-2 Vaqueros. However, two singles and an error in the top of the eighth gave Moorpark their first lead of the day. Moorpark prevented the Vaqueros from scoring thereafter, splitting the doubleheader with a 4-3 win.

William Matuszak went 3-for-4 out of the leadoff spot. Nelson drove in all three of the team's runs, while Bradley Cekada had two hits as well.

Sunday, game three: Santa Barbara 8, Moorpark 7

Sunday was an odd one at Pershing Park as the Vaqueros hit first on their home field. By the top of the seventh, they found themselves down 4-0.

With one out and nobody on, Moorpark elected to intentionally walk Nelson for the fourth time of the game—regardless of the situation. That actually sparked a rally; after that, the Vaqueros went walk, single, two-RBI single, and sac fly to make it 4-3.

Carlisle's bases-loaded walk in the top of the eighth tied the game. Moorpark scored three in the bottom half of the inning, though, to take a commanding 7-4 lead. But, Moorpark would finally pitch to Nelson in the ninth.

Four walks—with an out mixed in—made it 7-5 with the bases loaded and one out. After five intentional walks on the day, Moorpark had to either pitch to Nelson or intentionally walk in a run to make it 7-6 still with one out. They elected to pitch to him, and it did not work—his clutch two-run single tied the game. Then, after a flyout, Ide's two-out double scored the fourth run of the inning, giving the Vaqueros an 8-7 lead to hold into the bottom of the ninth.

Cedar Cline came on to close out the series victory, and he did just that. He worked around two walks to close out an emphatic win for Santa Barbara in the first conference series of the season.

Nelson's five intentional walks and six times reaching base surely were the highlight of the weekend. Altogether, he pitched a seven-inning complete-game win and went 5-for-9 with five walks, driving in seven runs.

As the dust settles, the Vaqueros have a winning conference record going into a string of seven consecutive conference games. A quick turnaround, Santa Barbara heads up to Cuesta on Tuesday. The teams meet again at Pershing Park on Thursday at 2 p.m. before ending the three-game slate with a return to Cuesta on Saturday.