Canyons Pulls Into Tie for WSC Lead : JC baseball: Gibson stymies Glendale with a 5-hitter to end monthlong conference drought.

Lance Gibson is a starting pitcher for College of the Canyons, but his complete-game victory at Glendale on Wednesday came as quite a relief--for his relievers and his coach.

Beginning a stretch of three Western State Conference games in four days, including a date with conference co-leader Cuesta on Saturday, Canyons Coach Len Mohney wasn’t eager to overextend his pitching staff against Glendale.

Gibson responded with a complete-game five-hitter, allowing only one earned run in Canyons’ 14-2 victory. Gibson (4-3) had not won a WSC game since March 22, but his effort Wednesday helped boost Canyons (21-10, 12-3 in conference play) into a first-place tie with Cuesta, a game ahead of Moorpark.

“To get a complete game out of Gibson makes us real healthy for (today) and Saturday,” Mohney said.

Canyons led, 6-0, when Gibson allowed an unearned run in the eighth. Glendale scored its other run in the ninth on John Bojanac’s eighth home run of the season.

“It felt good to go the distance,” said Gibson, who struck out five and walked only one. “It’s probably one of my best games of the season, and it’s good to get it late in the season.”

The game began as a pitchers’ duel; Gibson combining an effective split-finger fastball with off-speed pitches, and Glendale left-hander Matt Whisenant countering with his mitt-popping fastball.

Canyons led, 1-0, after five innings before touching Whisenant (4-4) for two runs in the sixth.

Gary Vlcek replaced Whisenant in the eighth, but the only relief he provided was to the Canyons batters, who had struck out 10 times against Whisenant but battered Vlcek with 11 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The defense for Glendale (12-22, 6-10) contributed to the blowout by committing four errors during Vlcek’s stint.

Canyons scored three runs in the eighth and eight more in the ninth.

Second baseman Steve Kovacic, recently moved to the cleanup spot, hit a three-run home run to left in the ninth, and first baseman Mike Kerber followed three batters later with another three-run home run to left. Kerber had Canyons’ only other extra-base hit, a double.

Every starter had at least one hit and one strikeout in Canyons’ 18-hit onslaught. Gary Morgan, the only regular who didn’t score, led the team with four hits. Ron Robart, Kovacic, Charlie Fowlks and Billy Horvat all had two hits apiece for Canyons.

Canyons also stole nine bases.