Kenny Cress / Sports Writer | Posted: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 12:00 am
Both defenses gave their opponents extra outs Tuesday. One extra out is what Chris Kunkle needed to win the game for Santa Ynez.
The second baseman made two errors that led to two unearned runs, but he more than made up for that by clobbering a Bobby Ferrel fastball at Elks Field for a bases-clearing triple 7 and the winning run 7 in the seventh.
Zach Steele followed with a double for the last run of the game in the Pirates/ 9-7 Los Padres League win against Santa Maria. The Pirates are 2-6 in the LPL and 9-12 overall.
Santa Ynez rallied from a 7-2 deficit with three runs in the sixth and then four more in the seventh. Brett Jenkins, the third Santa Ynez pitcher, nailed down the win by getting outs on all three batters he faced after David Garza Jr. led off the seventh inning for Santa Maria with a walk.
The Saints (7-14 overall) fell into a tie with Cabrillo at 5-3 in league games. Lompoc is 4-2-1 in the bunched race for the top. St. Joseph is 4-3, and Nipomo is 4-3-1.
The pitch Kunkle bashed for the winning hit, "Was a fastball right down the middle," said Kunkle. "He gave it up."
Ferrel was the Saints/ fourth pitcher Tuesday. He did not give up much the Friday before. He threw 124 pitches and gave up three hits in the Saints/ 6-0 10-inning win at Nipomo. Santa Maria had no hits itself against Titans starter Justin Robertson then in Robertson/s nine innings of work, then the Saints won the game in the 10th.
"Maybe I/m the idiot for putting him in after he threw 120 pitches," Santa Maria coach Scott Nickason said. "But if he says he/s ready 7 and he said he was ready 7 I/m going to give him the ball."
Ferrel came in with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth. Two runs scored on Kunkel/s single to center, then, after a walk, Anthony Martin singled home another run.
Santa Maria starting pitcher Eloy Ruiz worked the first three innings. "We wanted to keep rotating pitchers, give them different looks after each time through their lineup hitters 1-9," said Nickason.
Ferrel would have escaped unscathed in the seventh, but his hurried throw to second baseman Ryan Brocamonte, who was covering first base on a good bunt by Brett Jenkins, was just high enough to pull Brocamonte off the bag. Jenkins beat the throw.
Nickason said, "If we get the out, we don/t have the problem." As it was, a force play at the plate which would have been game ending out number three, was only out number two. Then Kunkle delivered his big hit.
"We/ve been hitting too late," Kunkle said. "This time we finally did enough."
Santa Maria scored four unearned runs itself in a five-run fourth inning that staked the Saints to a 7-2 lead.
"The guys kept hitting, kept battling," said Santa Ynez coach David Kuehn.
Santa Maria appeared safe thanks to the bottom of the fourth. Cesar Hernandez snapped a 2-2 tie with a run-scoring double, Brocamonte singied home two runs, another scored on an error and then John Robles singled a run home.
Only one of Santa Maria/s two third-inning runs were earned. Santa Ynez scored two unearned runs in the top of the fourth.
"We gave them extra outs and they took advantage," said Nickason. "When you keep giving the other team outs, you/re going to lose the game. We kept giving them extra outs, we lost the game."
Cabrillo 16, Nipomo 4
VANDENBERG VILLAGE 7 Chris White drove in three runs in Cabrillo/s rout.
Britton Butterfield had three hits for the victors and drove in two runs. Isaac Simmons doubled twice, and Matt Hansen also had two hits. Starting pitcher White pitched five innings. Just one of the three runs against him were earned.
Cabrillo has won seven straight games and nine of its last 10.
Paso Robles 10, Righetti 6
The Bearcats are only 3-7 in their 10 PAC-5 League games, but two of their wins have come against Righetti (6-4, 14-8).
This time, seven unearned runs did the Warriors in. Jimmy Dodos doubled twice for Righetti.
VCA 12, Cuyama 2
Valley Christian Academy pitcher David Kiger helped himself by walking no one and picking two runners off first base.
Fernando Calderon hit a three-run home run, and A.J. Stoddard a two-run home run for VCA (5-3, 6-7).
This Coast Valley League game at VCA was called after five innings because of the run rule. Stoddard/s homer was the first of his VCA career.
Softball
SM 13, Santa Ynez 1
The Saints (4-4 LPL) scored seven times in the third inning of their home game, which was called after the top of the fifth because of the run rule.
Sophia Beltran went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs for the Saints (4-4 LPL). Valerie De Los Santos was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Erika Amarillas and Serinna Uvalle combined on a two-hitter. Amarillas pitched the first four innings. One of the two hits was a home run for Santa Ynez (0-8 LPL) in the third.
Cabrillo 11, Nipomo 1
VANDENBERG VILLAGE 7 In another game called because of the run rule, the Conquistadores scored four runs in the second inning and five more in the third.
Brooke Brockett threw a three-hitter for Cabrillo. Elyse Sperakos doubled for one of the Titans/ hits.
Cabrillo ran its record to 8-0 in the LPL and 15-4-1 overall. Nipomo is 2-6 in LPL games.
Lompoc 1, Morro Bay 0
LOMPOC 7 Ashley McDonough hurled a one-hitter to help the Braves improve to 6-1, 12-3-1.
Morro Bay is 2-6 in LPL games.
VCA 13, Cuyama 3
The Lions (10-0, 13-5) scored another easy Coast Valley League win at home. Christine Regalado threw a one-hitter.
Regalado and Regina Garza each had two hits for VCA. The game was called after the top of the fifth because of the run rule.
Swimming
SY boys 128, Nipomo 54
SY girls 93, Nipomo 92
SANTA YNEZ 7 Zack Korte (200 freestyle, 1:58.08) won the 200 yard freestyle in CIF consideration 1:58.08 as the Pirates/ boys took an LPL dual meet.
Santa Ynez/s Matt Rogers won the 100 backstroke in a CIF consideration 1:01.55 and the Pirates/ 400 freestyle relay team of Donald Fredlos, George Granger, Hunter Hamaker and Chris Pace won in 1:39.12, also good for CIF consideration.
Cody King won the 50 freestyle in 23.04 and the 100 freestyle in 49.56 for Nipomo.
Chelsea Curtis and Beth Wickholm helped the Santa Ynez girls score just enough points to win. Curtis took the 50 freestyle in 28.04 and the 100 freestyle in 1:03.02. Wickholm won the 200 freestyle in 2:14.53 and the 500 freestyle in 5:54.67. Nipomo won all three relays.
Tennis
Lompoc 15, St. Joseph 3
At St. Joseph, Manuel Solorio swept at No. 1 singles, and the Braves/ doubles teams of Will Fabing and Adam Milholland and Pao Chang and Schoelong Poang also swept as Lompoc improved to 9-0, 14-0.
Graham Ortiz scored two points for the Knights (3-5 LPL).
Cabrillo 9, SM 9 (78-77 C)
The Conquistadores won this LPL match at the Minami Center by a single game.
The Conquistadores/ top doubles tandem of Clay Fields and Edgar Chavez swept their sets. Ricky Chan swept in singles for Santa Maria.
Santa Ynez 11, Templeton 7
SANTA YNEZ 7 In a non-league match, Erik Reif and Nick Keller swept their doubles matches to help the Pirates improve to 10-7.
Volleyball
SJ 3, SM 0
The Knights took this LPL match at Santa Maria/s Wilson Gym 25-21, 18-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-6 thanks to 23 kills by Charlie Sheaff and eight more by Matt Segura.
Sports writer Kenny Cress can be reached at 739-2237 or by e-mail at kcress@pulitzer.net
April 28, 2004