Moorpark Explodes, Leaving Cuesta Limp : Baseball: Raiders use eight-run fourth to fuel 15-3 WSC victory.

According to preseason prognostications, Cuesta and Moorpark colleges should battle for the baseball title in the Western State Conference North Division.

But when the teams met Saturday, Cuesta didn’t put up much of a fight.

Moorpark broke open a scoreless tie with eight runs in the fourth inning and coasted to a 15-3 victory to pull within one game of the defending-champion Cougars in the division race.

It was the third victory for the Raiders (14-6, 4-3 in division play) in the past four games, and it gave Moorpark a split of its two division games against Cuesta this season. But Coach Ken Wagner wasn’t reading too much into the outcome.

“It’s just one win,” he said. “It’s a long season.”

The Raiders, however, sent a message that they intend to be in the thick of things to the end.

Right-hander Rob Lanouette (3-0) worked seven strong innings and got an abundance of support. The Raiders collected 17 hits, including six doubles and a home run.

Lanouette allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out three. He shut out the Cougars (11-9-1, 5-2) for the first five innings.

“Rob kept them handcuffed,” Wagner said. “They are a good hitting team.”

Moorpark exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning on seven hits against starter Roman Montalvo (1-1) and reliever Dan Croxall.

Center fielder Jason Adamson led off the inning with a double to left and Britten Pond followed with a single. Montalvo then hit Joel Mellinger with a pitch to load the bases.

First baseman Bryan Delmonte lined out to center, but catcher Alex Alvarenga cleared the bases with a double down the left-field line. Alvarenga scored moments later on a single by Ryan Briggs.

Adamson knocked in the seventh run of the inning with a single and later scored on a hit by Delmonte.

The Raiders added four runs in the fifth, including a two-run homer by Gabe Kapler, who was four for six with three runs batted in.

Adamson finished four for five with two doubles and two RBIs and Delmonte was three for four and knocked in four runs.