Community College Baseball : Last-Place Saddleback Wins, 12-6

Dean Martinez pitched a one-hitter for six innings but needed help from Barry Tovey in the eighth as Saddleback College upset Rancho Santiago, 12-6, Thursday in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game at Rancho Santiago.

Rancho Santiago (10-3, 22-7) was ranked fifth in the state and tied for first in the conference with Orange Coast. Saddleback (3-10, 11-17) was the conference’s last-place team.

OCC defeated Citrus, 11-3, Thursday to move into first place with seven games left.

Martinez (3-4) didn’t allow a hit for the first four innings as he used a variety of off-speed pitches.

Bob Brucato singled to open the fifth for Rancho Santiago, but by then Saddleback had a 5-0 lead. Saddleback scored four runs in the second, including a two-run double by David Shetland, and added another run in the third.

Rancho Santiago finally adjusted to Martinez in the seventh as Brent Reese hit a two-run home run and Dave Kirkpatrick hit a bases-empty home run to cut the lead to 5-3.

Saddleback scored seven runs in the eighth. Rob Shoff opened with a double off losing pitcher Brian Raum and, after a hit batter and walk, David Stevens singled in Shoff. Dave Tellers replaced Raum and got Shetland to hit into a fielder’s choice that scored another run.

Chris Latham, Pat Walker and Scott Hefner had RBI singles and Shoff capped the inning with a two-run double to give Saddleback a 12-3 lead.

Reese hit another two-run home run, his 10th homer, as Rancho Santiago scored three runs in the eighth before Tovey replaced Martinez and pitched the final 1 innings.

“I guess we just outplayed them,” Marshall Adair, Saddleback coach, said. “Baseball is a funny game, you always have a chance. It was just very rewarding for our team. When you’re 2-10 and still fighting, that’s my kind of club.”

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Orange Coast 11, Citrus 3--Rex Peters was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and scored two runs and Mark Rassmussen was 3 for 5 with four RBIs to lead the Pirates at Citrus. Jim Foley (9-1) allowed five hits and struck out six in a complete game for Orange Coast.

Dave Staton was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and a run and Ralph Ramirez and Mike Misuraca had home runs for the Pirates (11-2, 26-8).

Riverside 7, Cypress 5 (11 innings)--Matt Davis hit a two-run home run in the 11th to lead the Tigers (6-7, 15-17) at Brookhust Park. Rick Nen had two-run triple for Cypress (3-10, 19-17) in the fifth as the Chargers scored four runs to take a 5-0 lead.

In the South Coast Conference:

Fullerton 5, El Camino 2--Richard Weller was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run and Reggie Brown was 2 for 3 with a run and three stolen bases to lead the Hornets at Fullerton. Mark Tranberg (5-1) allowed four hits and struck out three in seven innings for Fullerton (17-4, 23-9).

Pasadena 11, Golden West 9 (17 innings)--Center fielder Joe Hosey hit a two-run home run in the 17th inning at Pasadena. Golden West (8-13, 13-15) scored four runs in the 16th inning, but Pasadena came back with four in the bottom of the 16th. Tom Smythe and Chip Damato each were 3 for 7 with a double and a home run to lead Golden West.