Cuesta rolled out to a 7-0 lead in the first three innings at Hancock's John Osborne Field Saturday and looked all set to sweep the four-game series from the Bulldogs and move into first place in the Western State Conference North Division.
Nope. That was not how it turned out. Not even close, in fact.
After the big Cuesta start, Anthony Lopez, the third Hancock pitcher, shut out the Cougars the rest of the way, giving up just three hits over six innings in the process. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs struck for five runs in the sixth inning, three in the seventh and five in the eighth for a 13-7 victory and their biggest win of the year.
Hancock (25-12, 14-7) and Cuesta (21-14-1, 14-7) are now a half game behind first-place Santa Barbara City College (14-6 WSC North). The Bulldogs will host the Vaqueros Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Before that, Hancock will play a 2:30 p.m. WSC North game Tuesday at Oxnard.
The Bulldogs are 16-3 at home this year.
Jeremy Camarena delivered the winning hit for Hancock Saturday with a two-run double down the right field line in the seventh that put the Bulldogs ahead 8-7. Gavin Long hit a two-run homer to right in the eighth as Hancock pulled away.
The Cougars roughed up Cal Poly signee Luke Kovach, the Hancock starter, for six runs on four hits the first 2.1 innings but got just one run after that. Lucas Earle relieved Kovach, giving up one runs on three hits in two thirds of an inning. Then Lopez (4-0) came in and shut the Cougars down.
Camarena had two hits and four RBIs for the Bulldogs.
Hancock has three regular-season games left. The Bulldogs will play Friday at Ventura at 2:30 p.m. in a regular-season finale.
The Bulldogs (21-13) defeated Riverside City College 7-4 Saturday and West Hills (Coalinga) 13-5 Monday in two home non-conference games that were re-scheduled after March rainouts.
The West Hills game was called after six innings because of the 10-run rule.
Delayna Quezada (6-1) was the winning pitcher both times. She gave up six hits Saturday and nine hits Monday.
Briana Munoz had a total of five hits and drove in a total of eight runs, four in each game, for the Bulldogs. Danica Black had three hits and three RBIs against West Hills. Lisette Coria had a total of five hits. She drove in one Hancock run each game.
The Bulldogs will finish their regular season at WSC North Division champion Ventura Tuesday. The first pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. Hancock, 10-4 in the WSC North, will finish no worse than a tie for second in the conference with Cuesta (10-5 WSC North).
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The Hancock men finished second in a nine-team field behind Cuesta. The meet took place Thursday through Saturday at Los Angeles Valley College.
Cuesta scored 555.5 points to Hancock's 395.5. Hancock's Max Pecile won all three events he swam in and racked up 60 points for the Bulldogs.
Pecile won the 200 individual medley in 1 minute, 52.18 seconds, the 400 IM in 4:02.78 and the 200 backstroke in 1:55.83.
Ryan Lacaste won the 200 butterfly in 1:54.07. He finished third in both the 200 individual medley and 400 IM for 51 points total. Blake Cornelson placed fourth in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 200 breaststroke for a total of 44 points.
The Hancock women finished fifth in a field of 10 teams with 263 points. Emma Marsalek was the Bulldogs' top scorer with 57 points.
Marsalek won the 500 freestyle in 5:14.03, the 1,650 in 18:05.95 and finished second in the 400 individual medley in 4:46.55.
Santa Barbara won the conference championship with 771 points.   Â
In finals-only events at the Western State Conference meet at Antelope Valley College Friday, Hancock's Jordan Smith and Caleb Greitlein advanced to the Southern Cal Preliminaries.
Smith finished fifth at the WSC meet in the men's long jump at 6.41 meters. Greitlein finished fifth in the men's hammer throw with a best of 33.53 meters.
Reann Booker advanced to the conference finals in the women's 100 (12.46 seconds) and 200 (25.65). She will be seeded third in both.
Hancock's Ita Olea will be seeded 11th in the women's 1,500. She finished in 5:24.10 Friday.
The conference finals will take place Friday at Moorpark College.
Kenny Cress is a sports reporter for the Santa Maria Times, covering local sports in northern Santa Barbara County. You can send information or story ideas to him by emailing it to KCress@SantaMariaTimes.com.
