Hancock right-handed pitcher Nic Cardinal struck out a career-high 11, and Jake Shusterich led s 14-hit attack with three hits, including a home run to lead the Allan Hancock College baseball team to a 9-5 win over SBCC on Tuesday in both teams’ WSC opener.
The Bulldogs (10-8) improved to 9-0 this season at home on John Osborne Field and won their conference opener for the first time in three years. SBCC fell to 0-1 in league and 9-9 on the season.
The Bulldogs stormed out of the gates with a five-run first inning against SBCC starting pitcher Brett Vansant. The Bulldogs added another run in the second when Shusterich launched a ball over the wall for a solo-home run, his team-leading fourth of the season to push it to a 6-0 lead.
SBCC inched closer with three runs on three hits off Cardinal in the fourth to cut the deficit in half. However, the Bulldogs responded with two of their own in the fourth on a RBI-double by Shusterich and a run-scoring single off the bat of Bowie to make it 8-3 Hancock.
SBCC scored twice in the ninth inning against reliever Phillip Martin.
SBCC third baseman Jake Holton and second baseman Shane Hersh had three hits apiece. Sancier had two hits and 2 RBI, including a two-run home run against Cardinal.
The Bulldogs will head to SBCC for a 2 p.m. game on Thursday.