Gauchos slip and slide; suffer double-header loss
Sunday, Feb. 8
Saddleback vs. Santa Barbara City (L 4-6, L 8-9)
Saddleback didn’t see action until yesterday thanks to rainouts on both Friday and Saturday. The Gauchos welcomed Santa Barbara (6-1) to town and were able to squeeze in a double-header in between the raindrops, losing both games by a combined three runs. The Vaqueros won the first game 6-4, after falling behind 4-0 after four innings. Saddleback scored once in the first and twice in the second to take control early. SBCC then erupted for three runs in the sixth, and took the lead in the seventh on sophomore Aaron Bauman’s two- run single.
Bauman was back tormenting the Gauchos in the second game on Sunday, as the Vaqueros slammed the door shut on the two-game sweep with a 9-8 nail-biter. Saddleback again had control early, leading 3-2 in the third until the SBCC bats woke up and torched the Gaucho pitchers for five runs in the sixth inning. Bauman finished 3-for-4 in the second game, tallying two RBI and a double in the victory. He finished the weekend 5-for-9 with five RBI giving the Vaqueros the advantage they needed to overcome a feisty Saddleback squad.
The Gauchos had a chance to salvage a weekend-split in the ninth inning, loading the bases, cutting the deficit to 9-8. The rally fell short, though, as the tying runner was thrown out at third to end the game.