Vaqueros Force Extra Inning, But Drop Both Games at LA Mission

LOS ANGELES – Coming off a two-game sweep at Cerro Coso on Tuesday in which it scored 25 runs, the SBCC softball team looked to carry that momentum into Thursday's doubleheader at LA Mission. The Vaqueros put up at least eight runs for the third straight game, but fell in both contests, dropping the first one 10-9 in eight innings and losing 13-2 in five innings to close the day.

GAME ONE
SBCC (3-9) picked up where it left off on Tuesday by scoring six runs in the top of the second inning of the day's opener. Pitcher Lauren Indermuehle led off with a solo home run, the first of three Vaquero hits in the inning.

Alyssa Perez and Jade Leoffler both reached on the following two at bats and would both score on a two-run knock to shortstop by catcher Naveah Freitas, putting their team up 3-0.

The Vaqueros would score the next three runs against two outs. Sarah Hammonds and Armani Garcia nabbed one-RBI singles and the lineup made it all the way back around to Indermuehle who brought in a run from Hammonds to make it 6-0.

Unfortunately for SBCC, LA Mission responded with five runs coming on six hits in the bottom half of the inning. The Eagles took their first lead of the day on a two-run single in the bottom of the third, going up 7-6.

Neither team scored again until, needing a run to extend the game, SBCC would tie it 7-7 in the top of the seventh. Garcia reached first on an error and made her way to second base with two outs. Isabella Huckaby entered as a pinch hitter and delivered a clutch, game-tying RBI single to bring Garcia home.

Santa Barbara put up two more runs in the top of the eighth to take a 9-7 advantage. Leoffler scored first and Mellanie Barth added another run, both coming on LA Mission errors. The Eagles ended the game with an 8-1 disadvantage in errors.

LA Mission would come up big in the clutch, scoring three runs to steal the win on a two-run double with one out on the board.

GAME TWO
The second game of the doubleheader went very differently. The Eagles cleaned up their act on defense, this time going errorless while racking up 18 hits on offense.

This time, it was the Eagles who jumped out to a big lead, going up 7-0 through two and 11-1 through three.

SBCC got on the board with runs in the third and fourth innings. Center fielder Natalie Depasquale tallied an RBI single to score a run from Freitas. Leoffler earned a sacrifice fly to bring Indermuehle home from third.

However, the game would end in five innings as LA Mission scored in all five.

NEXT UP
The Vaqueros head out to Canyons next Tuesday for a fourth straight road doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.