City College sophomore Matt Henderson (No.6) went 3-3 with three stolen bases, and City College pitchers combined for twelve strikeouts in a 6-1 victory over Moorpark College Thursday at Pershing Park.
Henderson also scored runs in the first and third innings, headlining a rejuvenated Vaquero offense. Starting pitcher Sean Barry (No.12), the Western State Conference leader in strikeouts, allowed just three hits in six innings. Barry struck out eight Raiders on the afternoon, extending his season total to 50. No other pitcher in the conference has tallied more than 40 strikeouts.
City College scored the first two runs of the game on a double to deep right field by sophomore catcher Jimmy Hill (No.15) in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Dallas Bacon (No. 7) singled later in the inning to bring home Connor McManigal, extending the early lead to 3-0.
“Momentum is a crazy thing in this game,” said head coach Jeff Walker. “We scored first. It’s always nice to play with the lead.”
City College relieved Barry with freshman Steve Ledesma (No.33) in the seventh inning, then closed with freshman Jake Keily (No.32) in the ninth. Ledesma allowed one hit with two strikeouts, and Keily allowed two hits in the ninth but struck out three batters to finish the game.
Two of Henderson’s three steals came in the bottom of the third. After a single to centerfield, Henderson stole second and third base consecutively. He was brought home by a single from McManigal.
“Stealing bases is on us,” Henderson said. “As long as you get a good read, then you’re welcome to go.”
“Henderson did an outstanding job both offensively and defensively,” Walker said. “Kind of sparked us from the top of the lineup.”
City College improved its home record to 11-1 on the season. The team is in second place in the conference, trailing Oxnard by one game. The win marks the fourth straight for the Vaqueros, who seem to be hitting their stride at the midway point of the 2015 season.
“Having the experience, all the sophomores on this team is really helping us out with our confidence,” Henderson said. “That’s the name of the game. If you’re good mentally, then you’re going to be good physically as well.”
City College’s next game is at 1 p.m. this Saturday at Moorpark.
