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John Zant: A Tragic Trilogy |
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By John Zant
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Tuesday, May 15 2007 |
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How tragic was the weekend of college baseball in Santa Barbara?
It was like three consecutive performances of "Macbeth." Instead of "One, two, three strikes you're out," the theme for SBCC and UCSB entering the final acts should have been, "Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble."
On Saturday, SBCC took a 10-6 lead into the ninth inning against L.A. Harbor and lost 11-10, while UCSB led Long Beach State 8-4 after eight innings and lost 10-8.
On Sunday, Long Beach erased a 4-1 Gaucho lead in the eighth inning and scored eight runs in the 11th to win 11-4.
 SBCC first baseman Bryan Snodgrass makes a lonely trek off the diamond. Photo by Alexios Nicolaos Monopolis/SBN
Harbor's 4-2 victory on Friday had the Vaqueros chiming the Ernie Banks slogan Saturday: "Let's play two." And it certainly appeared that another game would be necessary to decide the series after SBCC put 10 runs on the scoreboard.
But L.A. Harbor nibbled away at SBCC's lead and then chewed it up with a five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth (the Seahawks were the designated home team). Steve Carrillo was mobbed by his teammates when his two-out single drove in the winning run.
The Vaqueros were stunned, to say the least.
"There were a lot of tears," SBCC coach Teddy Warrecker said. "To have it end so quickly was painful. There are not a lot of things you do in life where you put that much into it emotionally."
Nobody cared more deeply than Warrecker himself, and he said that he received many calls and text messages from his players Saturday night.
"They were checking on me, seeing how I was doing," he said. "I spent time with my family. Everything seemed to be moving real slowly."
 The most successful season in SBCC baseball history and the best record. Photo by Alexios Nicolaos Monopolis/SBN
"All of these experiences are new to me as a coach," he said. "Winning the league for the first time, and then having high expectations and not meeting them. But the biggest thing about the weekend was the support we received from the community. No matter how we did, we already won."
He estimated there were 600 people at the game Saturday. "People showed they will support baseball and softball at Pershing Park," Warrecker said. There is a proposal on the table to expand and upgrade the facility.
Santa Barbara's tough baseball weekend continued on national TV on Sunday night when Virgil "Matt" Vasquez, the former Santa Barbara High and UCSB pitcher, made his first major league start for the Detroit Tigers at Minnesota. The Twins shelled him with eight hits and six runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Vasquez's appearance was just a one-shot deal. He started in place of Jeremy Bonderman, who was temporarily sidelined by a blister. After the game, Vasquez was sent back down to Toledo, where he has been throwing the ball extremely well - well enough to be called up by the Tigers for Sunday's game. He is a thinking pitcher and might have been a little too hyped up.
 Vaquero outfielder Brian Buck (center) is consoled by a teammate outside. Photo by Alexios Nicolaos Monopolis/SBN
The game was humbling to the Vaqueros, Gauchos and Vasquez over the weekend. But they can all hope the equalizing forces sway their way in the future. After all, Ernie Banks never said, "Let's play one."
*WATER POLO DYNASTY: Former Santa Barbara High water polo star Molly Cahill ended her collegiate career with three national championships at UCLA. Cahill started for the Bruin women Sunday in their 5-4 victory over Stanford for their third straight title and the school's 100th NCAA team crown. They edged USC 7-6 in the semifinals, a game in which three former Santa Barbara Dons played - Cahill and the Trojans' sophomore Kami Craig and junior Miranda Nichols. In their three-year run, Cahill and the Bruins compiled a 90-6 record.
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