The Lompoc Honda Bandits won their 20th straight game Sunday and earned a berth in the Santa Barbara Baseball League/s final series by beating the Santa Barbara Giants 8-3.

Another victory by the Bandits may seem to be no big news but the hero/s mantle fell on an unlikely candidate 7 player/manager Mike Bennett.

Bennett, who has caught and played the infield most of his career with only occasional pitching appearances, tossed a complete game with 11 strikeouts.

"It was my change," said Bennett. "They couldn/t touch my change up curve." The righthander gave up nine hits but walked only two.

The nine-inning effort was his first since April 17. Since then Rick Aguilar, Jake Marshall and Ryan Day have handled Bandit mound chores.

Bennett was backed by a thundering 17-hit offensive led by the bottom of the Bandit batting order.

Catcher Derek Carpio rapped four hits, leftfielder Ray Hirzel drove in four runs with two hits and a sacrifice fly, and Ivan Enriquez notched three hits including a double.

In addition to those three Larry Jacinto rang up three hits including a triple and Cameron Luna and Ryan Day doubled and singled.

The final series will match the No. 1 and No. 2 teams from the regular season since the Goleta Diablos downed the Santa Barbara A/s in the other semifinal.

Bennett said he expected to start Day on the mound Sunday with the rest of his lineup remaining the same7 Jason Green, Jacinto, Enriquez and Casey McNamee around the infield and Hirzel, Luna and John Salter in the outfield. The Diablo starter is expected to be onetime Lompoc High star Hip Arias.

The Bandits and Diablos, the 2004 SBBL champs, split during the season. Game time at Santa Barbara High is 11 a.m.

John McReynolds can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 106, or jmcreynolds@lompocrecord.com

October 3, 2005