With the opportunity to move into first place, Moorpark College (14-14,
8-6 WSC Gold) came out against number one seed Santa Barbara City
College (25-5, 13-2) ready to win.
Santa Barbara had other plans, dominating the double-header between
the two teams, with scoreless efforts from MC 8-0, 10-0.
Laura Cannon hit a three run home run in the top of the first, opening up
a 3-0 lead for SBCC, the Vaqueros’ never looked back from there. Cannon
had two homers in the first game; hitting a perfect 4 for 4, with four
RBIs and four runs with three stolen bases.
MC struggled throughout the first game; not only giving up a three run
shot in the opening inning, but allowing run after run off bad throws and
poor infield defense.
Catcher/pitcher Veronica Gamm had back-to-back errant throws that
brought in two more runs for SBCC making the deficit for MC 5-0.
“I thought we played well in the first game,” said Gamm. “Things happen.”
A shortage of starting pitchers has proved fatal for MC down the stretch.
Starting pitcher JoJo Boicourt began to feel a disturbance in her right arm
late in the game, creating more problems for MC and allowing SBCC to
continue their dissection.
“We came in ready for it and we just got down for a little bit, and after me
getting hurt, it was a little tough,” said Boicourt. “It’s hard when you have
less players.”
MC came into the first game hoping to put a dent into SBCC’s top seeded
hopes; sitting at second in the conference with a win in the first game,
the Raiders would’ve clinched the second seed and came close to SBCC’s
top seed with a win in the second.
MC’s head coach Will Thurston understood the importance of both games
and how much it would mean for this first year team.
“We are all freshmen and were competing today for a tie for first place in
the conference, we got to that point but I think their experience
prevailed,” said Thurston. “In the first game we thought we were going to
be in this game, but when you give up a early three run home run its hard
to come back against a pitcher like Snyder; she threw 14 strike outs
against us in the first game.”
SBCC head coach Paula Congleton understood the importance of the
games with MC, understanding they’re a good team and pushing her
team in practice the day before.
“Staying focused on what our game plan was, stay relaxed play the ball
and drive the ball hard, that was our strategy, that’s been our strategy all
year,” said Congleton. “We geared our practice for the double header today to stay focused and play hard. We needed to work hard to sweep the season series against them. Last week, they were in second place in the conference, they’re a good team so we knew we had to come in here prepared and it showed on the scoreboard.”
MC came out in the second game broken, realizing the conference lead
was out of grasp and decided to take it “easy” in the second game.
“We knew after we lost that game we knew we weren’t going to take
second, so we decided to play different positions and take it easy cause
we have another game on Saturday,” said catcher Veronica Gamm.
SBCC closed out the second game in five innings; by the time the top of
the fourth had closed, they had 10 runs on three hits and zero errors,
forcing the 10-run rule. MC started Gamm at pitcher due to Boicourts’
injury.
MC, at 14-14, 8-6, now sits at fourth place in the WSC Gold conference,
behind rivals Oxnard College (16-14, 8-6) at third and Ventura College
(19-14, 8-6) at second, SBCC sits alone at the top with a record of 25-5
overall and 13-2 in conference.
