Vaqueros Fall to Hancock, 8-5

By AJ Nagbe

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Vaquero Softball team (11-19, 2-5) dropped their home game to Allan Hancock (5-20, 2-5) on Tuesday afternoon as a four-run top of the seventh led to an 8-5 result.

Gracie Verdugo led Santa Barbara at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Bella Cox, Anja Perreira, Maite Juarez, and Ruby Bartholomew each drove in a run, with Cox, Leoffler, and Juarez recording doubles.

Allan Hancock jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and controlled the game early. Santa Barbara broke through with a run in the fourth inning and rallied with three runs in the fifth to tie it at 4-4. Back-to-back two-out doubles in the bottom of the sixth gave the Vaqueros a short-lived lead. After Leoffler's two-bagger, Juarez did the same to make it 5-4 heading into the seventh.

But Allan Hancock erupted for four runs in the seventh inning to retake the lead. The Bulldogs ended with 11 hits compared to SBCC's eight, securing the 8-5 victory.

Santa Barbara travels to Ventura on Thursday, April 2, at 2 p.m. for their next matchup.