For the second consecutive year the City College baseball team has played itself into a must-win position down the stretch of the season to earn a playoff berth. But who can fault their strategy, it worked for them last year.

The Vaqueros pulled off a gutsy 10-9 win over visiting Cuesta Saturday, by capitalizing on aggressive base running and an inspired relief performance by pitcher Zach Edgington.

Edgington entered the game with two outs in the 6th inning and the Vaqs trailing 7-9, but the Cuesta bats were silent from that point on as Edgington held them scoreless in 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing the Vaqueros to claw their way back into the game.

City College has won four of five, lowering their rating percentage index from 35 to 27, to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

“We have to win our remaining games and get some help,” said head coach Teddy Warrecker. “Last year we got in with an RPI of 22.”

The Vaqueros got off to a fast start scoring four runs in the 1st inning, two which came on a ground ball single up the middle by Jacob Trimble who was thrown out trying to advance to second to end the inning.

Three more runs in the 2nd inning had the Vaqueros cruising with a 7-1 lead but Cuesta would put three runs on the board in the 3rd chasing six-foot-six-inch tall left hander Joe Mcgrew out of the game. Two runs in the 4th and three in the 6th gave Cuesta a 9-7 lead.

“We put up seven quickly, gave up the lead, and still found a way to win,” Warrecker said.

City College struck back with a two-out rally in the bottom of the 6th when Corey Krupp singled to left, and Barrett Ceverha was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Krupp scored on an overthrown ball by Cuesta catcher Manny Reyes during a double steal. Andrew Leighty singled up the middle to score Ceverha, Leighty then scored on another overthrown ball by Reyes for the go ahead run.

“I kind of just got picked off and I just kept on going,” said Leighty describing the play.

From then on it was up to Edgington to maintain the tenuous lead and he did so masterfully, keeping the Cuesta hitters off balance with well-placed fast balls.

“I was really just setting up the fastball and changeup today,” Edgington said. “I was able to stay ahead of hitters.”

The Vaqueros came out of the gates fast this season starting out 10-1, but Santa Barbara has not seen that type of success since, going 10-16 after the fast start. The Vaqueros now hope that their early-season success can come full circle with a strong finish. Last season’s squad won their final four games to sneak into the playoffs.

“Every game should be the same amount of pressure from the first game of the season to the last game of the season,” Edgington said. “They all should be a must-win.”