BANDITS REPEAT IN SB BASEBALL LEAGUE
Sunday the Lompoc Bandits demonstrated once again that the best baseball heritage in the county is located right here.
The Bandidos successfully defended their Santa Barbara Baseball League championship with a 17-13 slugfest overtime victory over the Goleta Diablos at Eddie Mathews Field in Santa Barbara.
“They swept us during the season,” player-manager MIKE BENNETT laughed Wednesday. “And the last time it was 13-3.” Besides defeating Lompoc in three regular season contests the Diablos led the standings at 17-3 to Lompoc’s 16-4.
But the Bandits got tough in the postseason to win two straight over Santa Barbara Puruandiro in the first round and then won two in a row over the Diablos for their second title in two years.
Sunday’s contest went to the 11th inning before an error and successive singles by JASON CARLSON, CAMERON LUNA and JOHN SALTER and a two-run double by RICKY AGUILAR scored four and gave Lompoc its 17-13 lead. Onetime LaVerne College reliever KYLE DARG closed the contest with a strikeout and two popups to record the victory. The loss went to onetime Lompoc High star HIP ARIAS now with the Diablos.
The Bandits had taken a two-run lead in the 10th on a two-run single by catcher DEREK CARPIO, but the Diablos matched it. The Bandits held a six-run lead in the seventh inning but three unearned runs by Goleta in the seventh and ninth forced extra innings.
Santa Barbara City College hurler JAMES ROOT pitched eight innings giving up only one earned run for the Bandits. He was awarded the championship series MVP trophy for his efforts. “He was the workhorse,” said Bennett. “He shut them down.”
Sunday the Lompoc Bandits demonstrated once again that the best baseball heritage in the county is located right here.
The Bandidos successfully defended their Santa Barbara Baseball League championship with a 17-13 slugfest overtime victory over the Goleta Diablos at Eddie Mathews Field in Santa Barbara.
“They swept us during the season,” player-manager MIKE BENNETT laughed Wednesday. “And the last time it was 13-3.” Besides defeating Lompoc in three regular season contests the Diablos led the standings at 17-3 to Lompoc’s 16-4.
But the Bandits got tough in the postseason to win two straight over Santa Barbara Puruandiro in the first round and then won two in a row over the Diablos for their second title in two years.
Sunday’s contest went to the 11th inning before an error and successive singles by JASON CARLSON, CAMERON LUNA and JOHN SALTER and a two-run double by RICKY AGUILAR scored four and gave Lompoc its 17-13 lead. Onetime LaVerne College reliever KYLE DARG closed the contest with a strikeout and two popups to record the victory. The loss went to onetime Lompoc High star HIP ARIAS now with the Diablos.
The Bandits had taken a two-run lead in the 10th on a two-run single by catcher DEREK CARPIO, but the Diablos matched it. The Bandits held a six-run lead in the seventh inning but three unearned runs by Goleta in the seventh and ninth forced extra innings.
Santa Barbara City College hurler JAMES ROOT pitched eight innings giving up only one earned run for the Bandits. He was awarded the championship series MVP trophy for his efforts. “He was the workhorse,” said Bennett. “He shut them down.”
The batting star for Lompoc earlier in the game was TREVOR BAIRD who accounted for five RBI including a three-run home run in the sixth inning.
The previous Sunday the Bandits also won in dramatic fashion.
Tied in the bottom of the ninth at 8-8 TIM HOWELL doubled off the fence and DANNY TERRONES doubled him home with a drive to right field. This after a two-run homer by Luna put Lompoc ahead 8-7 after eight.
“It was exciting this year,” Bennett commented. “We had to mix and match all year. We never had the same lineup.”
Fortunately the player-manager had a star-studded lineup to shuffle. “This was the deepest team we’ve ever had,” he said.
The roster included Carlson, Aguilar, Howell, Terrones, Sousa, LARRY JACINTO, and DEREK McLEOD in the infield, and Luna, Salter, and RAY HIRZEL in the outfield.
Carpio, Baird and COREY DOTZLER caught.
On the mound Bennett rotated Root, Darg, RYAN DAY, Sousa, JAKE MARSHALL, Carlson, Aguilar, TOMMY HAWK and even himself with Root and Day piling up the most innings.
Aguilar, Hawk, Howell, Jacinto and Carlson all bring professional experience while Sousa, McLeod, Salter, Root, Marshall, Dotzler and Darg played or are still playing college ball.
Team batting averages for the season show the strength of Bennett’s team. Ricky Aguilar led in batting at .514 followed by Jason Carlson at .463, Larry Jacinto at .444, Cameron Luna at .418, Jake Marshall .420, John Salter .400, Ryan Day .377, Bennett .375, James Root .361 and Kyle Sousa .357.
Luna led in RBI’s with 25 with Carlson at 20, and Aguilar, Salter and Marshall at 15. Carlson was the home run leader with six.
“2008? That’s what we’re talking about now,” Bennett added.
The previous Sunday the Bandits also won in dramatic fashion.
Tied in the bottom of the ninth at 8-8 TIM HOWELL doubled off the fence and DANNY TERRONES doubled him home with a drive to right field. This after a two-run homer by Luna put Lompoc ahead 8-7 after eight.
“It was exciting this year,” Bennett commented. “We had to mix and match all year. We never had the same lineup.”
Fortunately the player-manager had a star-studded lineup to shuffle. “This was the deepest team we’ve ever had,” he said.
The roster included Carlson, Aguilar, Howell, Terrones, Sousa, LARRY JACINTO, and DEREK McLEOD in the infield, and Luna, Salter, and RAY HIRZEL in the outfield.
Carpio, Baird and COREY DOTZLER caught.
On the mound Bennett rotated Root, Darg, RYAN DAY, Sousa, JAKE MARSHALL, Carlson, Aguilar, TOMMY HAWK and even himself with Root and Day piling up the most innings.
Aguilar, Hawk, Howell, Jacinto and Carlson all bring professional experience while Sousa, McLeod, Salter, Root, Marshall, Dotzler and Darg played or are still playing college ball.
Team batting averages for the season show the strength of Bennett’s team. Ricky Aguilar led in batting at .514 followed by Jason Carlson at .463, Larry Jacinto at .444, Cameron Luna at .418, Jake Marshall .420, John Salter .400, Ryan Day .377, Bennett .375, James Root .361 and Kyle Sousa .357.
Luna led in RBI’s with 25 with Carlson at 20, and Aguilar, Salter and Marshall at 15. Carlson was the home run leader with six.
“2008? That’s what we’re talking about now,” Bennett added.
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