Community College Baseball : Rancho Santiago Wins Easily, 16-7

Troy Barnhart was 4 for 5 with a triple and a double and five RBIs to lead Rancho Santiago College to a 16-7 victory over Orange Coast in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game at Orange Coast Friday.

Barnhart was the key to a seven-run first inning when he tripled down the right-field line with the bases loaded and one out.

OCC starter David Dawson (1-2) lasted one-third of an inning, giving up seven runs.

Brent Reese also had a two-run single in the inning for Rancho Santiago.

Barnhart also had the key hit as Rancho Santiago (5-0, 15-3) scored seven runs in the eighth, taking a 16-5 lead.

Barnhart’s double with two outs drove home two runs off Brett Johnson, one of five relief pitchers used by OCC (3-2, 16-6).

Seven of the nine Rancho Santiago starters scored two runs and every starter scored at least one. Frank Appice was 3 for 6 with two RBIs and Richard Gonzales, Reese and Nick Santa Cruz had two hits for Rancho Santiago, which had 14 hits and 8 walks.

Mike Anthony (4-1) worked around seven hits and seven walks in 6 innings for the victory for Rancho Santiago.

“It’s great to be undefeated in conference right now,” Don Sneddon, Rancho Santiago coach, said. “But like I just told the guys. ‘Enjoy tonight because we have to go right back to work tomorrow.’ ”

The game closed out the first of four rounds in the 20-game conference schedule. The teams now go into a home-and-home series against each team in the conference with Rancho Santiago at Cypress and Saddleback at OCC today at noon.

For OCC, the first round has been spent trying to work around injuries. Starting center-fielder J.J. Culpepper injured his wrist and has yet to play a conference game. Ralph Ramirez had to switch from third base to center, shortstop Mike Misuraca moved to third, second baseman Mannie Adams to short and Mike Lujan into the lineup at second.

Designated hitter Dave Staton, bothered by a hamstring injury, played for the first time in nearly three weeks Friday but struggled, striking out twice, walking and flying out.

In other Orange Empire Conference play:

Cypress 5, Citrus 2--David Wooley (4-2) pitched a complete game, four-hitter to lead the Chargers at home. Wooley, a sophomore from Loara High School, struck out six and pitched eight shutout innings before giving up two runs in the ninth.

The Chargers (3-2, 17-8) had 10 hits and scored three runs in the fourth inning, two coming on Dave Brodt’s triple. Cypress’ Troy Brown hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to make the score 5-0.

Saddleback 4, Riverside 3--Bill Lasher hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning for the the Gauchos at Riverside.

Rob Shoff was 2 for 3 with a double for Saddleback (2-3, 8-9).

Todd Bush (2-2) got the victory.

In South Coast Conference play:

Fullerton 5, Golden West 2--Rodney DeYoung went 3 for 4 with three doubles and scored two runs and Shawn Blankenship went 3 for 4 with a triple and one RBI to lead the Hornets at Golden West.

Mark Tranberg (2-0-1) gave up six hits and two runs in seven innings for Fullerton. Ken Hokuf (1-1) gave up three runs and six hits and struck out three in seven innings for the Rustlers (5-7, 9-9). Fullerton (10-2, 14-5-2) is tied for first in the conference with Cerritos.