Bower, Bendele Help Bulldogs Upset No.1 Oxnard

(Santa Maria, CA) Ryan Bower pitched into the eighth inning and Ryan Bendele delivered a clutch two-run single to lead the Allan Hancock College baseball team to a 5-1 victory over first place and top ranked Oxnard on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs, who are ranked 9^th in the Southern California Regional, improved to 8-7 in conference and 18-10-1 overall. Oxnard, the top ranked team in the region, fell to 12-3 in WSC play, with two of those losses coming at John Osborne Field to the Bulldogs. The Condors are 22-5 for the season.

Hancock scored the first run of the game in the third inning when Felipe Gonzalez singled to left field to drive in Evan Aguilar. The Lompoc High School graduate walked to lead off the inning. 

The Condors tied it with a run against Bower in the fifth, but the Bulldogs took the lead for good by scoring three in the bottom half.  Angel Guillen singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Aguilar eventually scoring on a base hit from Jacob Witkowski. After Ryan Welker walked and stole second, the Bulldogs had two runners in scoring position when Bendele stroked a two-out single to drive in Witkowski and Welker to give Hancock a 4-1 advantage.

Bower, a sophomore and Lompoc High graduate, followed last weekend's shutout against Santa Barbara with 7 1/3 brilliant innings against the first place Condors. The right-hander struck out four and scattered seven hits. He improved to 7-2 on the year.

Left-hander Zack Skipper relieved Bower with the tying run at the plate and one out in the eighth and escaped the jam. He threw the final 1 2/3 innings to seal the victory and earn his first save of the campaign. 

Hancock won despite being outhit 8-5. Witkowski, Welker, Gonzalez, Bendele and Angel Guillen had one hit each. Welker also walked twice.

The Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday at Oxnard before playing on the road against L.A. Pierce on Thursday.