Orange County Prep Baseball : Saddleback Should Have Missed the Bus : Latecomers Are Guilty of Costly Errors in 6-1 Loss

It began when the team bus showed up some 40 minutes late. And that turned out to be one of the highlights of the afternoon. For Saddleback High School, Friday was one of those days.

The Roadrunners arrived at University High about the time their Sea View League game was scheduled to start. They hurriedly warmed up and took infield, and began playing a game they weren’t meant to win. By the time it was over, University had a 6-1 win and Saddleback Coach Bob Mangram was left trying to remember which side of the bed he got up on so he could choose a different route next game day.

Three University pitchers limited Saddleback to three hits--including one infield single--and the Trojans capitalized on each of the Roadrunners’ three errors to get a victory that put them back in contention for the Sea View League lead. University is 5-3 in league, 7-8 overall. Saddleback falls to 4-3-1, 8-10-1.

What kind of day was it for Saddleback? The Roadrunners had one player picked off third base and another tagged out at the plate after he left third too soon and tipped off an attempted squeeze play. Each member of Saddleback’s starting outfield made an error, each of which led to University runs.

It started with the Trojans’ first batter. Steve Conner led off the bottom of the first by hitting a fly ball to deep left field that Victor Rossano misplayed for a two-base error. Conner scored when Al Contrera followed with a sharp single. Contrera scored when sophomore Casey Simpson, brought up from the Trojans’ junior varsity team earlier this week, hit the first pitch thrown to him to the base of the hill in deep right field for an RBI double.

Conner again led off for University in the third. This time, he hit a long fly ball to center that went off the glove of Myron Butler for a three-base error. Contrera followed with a run-scoring single to left. Contrera was 3 for 3, including a deep drive off the center-field fence. In two games this week, Contrera was 6 for 7.

University added three runs in the fourth, two on Contrera’s booming double and a third on a hit-and-run single that Saddleback played into a hit-and-run triple. After Bart Silberman reached on a bunt single, Steve Keer hit a ground ball through the hole between first and second that Roadrunner right fielder Sam Topete misplayed. Silberman, who was running on the pitch, kept running. Keer didn’t stop until he reached third.

Darrell Sawicki, University’s starting pitcher, benefited from Saddleback’s series of misfortunes. Sawicki (3-1) allowed two hits and one run through 3 innings to get the win, with relief help from Toby Foreman and Jeff Baker.

“In our league, the teams are so even that the one that gets the breaks is the one that usually wins,” University Coach Chris Conlin said. “Things went right for us today. It was nice.”

Mangram would probably use other words to describe this day.

In other Sea View League action:

Newport Harbor 5, Woodbridge 1--Pat Maynard went 3 for with two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Sailors (4-4, 7-12) to this win at home. Newport Harbor’s Scott Craig (2-1) was the winning pitcher. Kevin Caporicci and Eric Brougher each went 2 for 3 for Woodbridge (3-5, 5-8-2).

Estancia 1, Costa Mesa 0--Pat Norville pitched a two hitter and struck out eight to lead the Eagles (6-2, 8-9) at Tewinkle Park. Norville (5-1, 4-0) has pitched 15 consecutive scoreless innings. Scott Snedecker took the loss despite striking out 10.