COLLEGE BASEBALL / GOLDEN STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE : SCC Sweeps Concordia to Break 6-Game Losing Streak

Southern California College’s baseball team, suffering through a prolonged dry spell, found the perfect opponent to quench its thirst for winning Saturday.

The Vanguards swept a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader with visiting Concordia, 6-2 and 4-3, to end a six-game losing streak. Before Saturday, SCC had won only three of its last 16 games, two of those against Concordia.

Concordia is no slouch. The Eagles (12-13, 5-8 in conference) started the week in third place. Coach Jackie Schniepp said his team, which committed three errors in each game, seems to crumble against the Vanguards.

“I was telling their third baseman in the last inning, ‘I’d rather play Azusa Pacific or Point Loma than you guys,’ ” Schniepp said. “I really mean that.”

The Vanguards (9-19, 5-8) broke a 2-2 tie in the first game with two unearned runs in the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, Brian Nolan laid down a bunt to the right of Concordia pitcher Jeff Daniels, who threw the ball over the first baseman, scoring two.

SCC scored two more unearned runs in the eighth and that was plenty for left-hander Jeff Beckley (6-3). Although Beckley wasn’t sharp--giving up eight hits, striking out five and walking four--he stopped the Eagles when necessary.

SCC’s Ryan Seidel hit the first pitch of the second game for his 10th home run and the Vanguards added an unearned run in the inning.

Concordia threatened to rally but made costly mistakes. Trailing 2-1, Benjamin Kindreich led off the fifth inning with an apparent double to left-center field. But he was called out for missing first base.

Two batters later, Kindreich’s older brother, Christopher, hit his first home run of the season to tie the score.

SCC scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning, the second--the eventual game-winner--on a squeeze bunt by Josh Sewell.