Tanner Brubaker tossed seven innings of one-run, five-hit ball on Thursday night and Saddleback silenced SBCC's offense in a 5-1 baseball win at Doug Fritz Field in Mission Viejo.
The game was called after eight innings due to thick fog. Saddleback (4-0) is ranked No. 10 in the Southern Cal preseason poll and the Vaqueros are No. 12.
Brubaker (2-0), a 6-5 sophomore right-hander, held the Vaqueros (2-1) to one run and struck out seven with no walks. The Vaqueros had just five baserunners in the game and left three on base. Saddleback had eight hits and stranded 12 runners.
The Gauchos took a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first three innings. Vaquero starter Brett Vansant lasted just 2.1 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and walking four.
Five Vaquero hurlers walked eight batters and struck out five. Three Saddleback pitchers combined on a five-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks.
Left fielder John Jensen went 2-3 for the Vaqueros. Jensen tripled to center with one out in the fourth and scored on a two-out single by Mitch Sancier to make it 3-1. The Gauchos added single runs in the fourth and eighth.
The teams will play Game 2 of a three-game series on Friday at 5 p.m.
