Warriors Falter Late in Loss to Santa Barbara

TORRANCE, Calif. – El Camino College held the lead for seven innings on Thursday afternoon but Santa Barbara scored twice in the ninth to pull off the comeback and down the Warriors, 6-5, in a non-conference game at Warrior Field.

The Warriors (7-6) took an early four run lead and nursed it for the rest of the game before the Vaqueros rallied for six runs in the last four innings to overtake ECC and claim the victory.

Reigning Southern California Player of the Week Spencer Palmer kept up his torrid hitting as he went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored. He had hits in his first two at-bats, extending his consecutive hits streak to nine before grounding out in the fifth inning.

Daniel Alvarez was solid on the mound, going seven innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits. He walked one and struck out nine in his first start at home en route to a no-decision.

The Warriors did the bulk of their scoring in the second inning, capitalizing on Vaqueros' starter Jayden Metz's loss of command. The inning began with Palmer's first double of the game off the right-field wall. Joseph Borges reached on an error at short and then ECC loaded the bases on a walk to Jose Ruiz Jr.

Cody Wissler forced in the first run after he was pelted by a pitch and then Taishi Nakawake drew a walk to bring in the second run of the frame.

Spencer Long stepped in and singled through the right side to plate Ruiz Jr. and that was the end of Metz's day on the mound.

Reliever Steven Elliott entered and was immediately greeted by a single up the middle from Diego Alarcon to put ECC up 4-0.

But Elliott settled things down for Santa Barbara, getting an infield fly for the first out and then inducing a double play to get out of the inning without any further damage.

Elliott would go five solid innings of relief, allowing just two more hits after Alarcon's RBI single.

That proved crucial as the Vaqueros plated two runs in the sixth inning to cut the Warriors lead in half and then made it a one-run game with a run in the top of the seventh.

A two-out RBI single from Borges got that run back for the Warriors to make it 5-3 but the Vaqueros tacked on a run in the eighth to make it a one-run game once again.

After the Warriors were retired in the eighth, Long came in from left field to attempt and close the game out. He got Phil Quartararo to strike out looking for the first out but then pinch-hitter Mitch Sancier singled to left field to put the game-tying run on base. Boston Hubbard then cashed him in with a triple to left-center to tie things up and then Reinhard Lautz hit an RBI groundout to short to give the Vaqueros their first lead of the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Palmer singled with two outs to put the tying run on base but Borges struck out swinging on a full count to end the game.

The Warriors and Vaqueros will face off again Saturday afternoon at noon in Santa Barbara.