Sophomore starting pitcher Freddy Vasquez led the Vaqueros past the Oxnard Condors by the score of 7-2 on Thursday, going seven strong innings to allow only four hits while striking out eight.

After giving up a first-inning two-run home run, Vasquez settled down and turned in six innings of effective work that frustrated the usually dangerous Oxnard hitters.

At one point between the third and fifth inning, Vasquez retired nine straight batters.

“I was just trying to keep making pitches and keep them off balance. I didn’t even think about retiring nine straight,” Vasquez said. “D.K. (catcher Dave Klein) called a great game.”

“Freddy is always the second hardest thrower out there,” Head Coach Teddy Warrecker said. “He had his location and mixed his pitches real well.”

The potent Vaquero lineup began to cause damage in the third inning, breaking out for two runs to even the score at two. Lead-off Hitter Brian Buck started the inning with one of his three singles on the day and was moved to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run double coming off the bat of shortstop Ryan Morford. Center fielder Jon De Alba followed with a two-run single.

Vasquez had to pitch out a jam in the top of the sixth as a base runner reached by way of an error to lead off the inning, putting him at second base. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, Vasquez had to bear down to keep the game tied. He proceeded to strikeout the next hitter and after coach Warrecker decided to intentionally walk the next man up, Vasquez got the hitter to pop-out softly in the infield, leaving the runner on third to not score for Oxnard.

The rest of the scoring came in the bottom of the sixth for City College as left-handed-hitter Dave Klein drove in a pair of Vaqueros with a bases-loaded-single followed by a sacrifice fly-off from Brian Snodgrass’ bat to make the score 5-2.

The highlight of the inning came when Carlos Alonso was at bat facing an 0-2 count with Klein on third.

With Oxnard’s pitcher choosing to pitch out of his full wind-up with Klein on third, Klein broke for the plate in an attempt to steal home as the pitcher began his windup. With Alonso unaware of the situation, Klein yelled to Alonso, “Don’t swing! Don’t swing!” as he approached home and safely averted the tag from the Oxnard catcher, making the score 6-2.

Klein mentioned that stealing home was something that the coaching staff had brought up before the game.

The Vaquero’s last run came in the bottom of the seventh as Ryan Morford drove in Brian Buck with a single. Danny Graybill came in to pitch in the top of the eighth and went two innings to close the victory for City College.

The Vaqs are now 3-1 in conference play and have won their last three contests with their only loss from the first game of the league schedule against Cuesta College.