Community College Roundup : Hopper Strikes Out 18 as Fullerton Rallies to Defeat Long Beach, 8-6

Brad Hopper tied a school record with 18 strikeouts to help Fullerton College to an 8-6 victory over Long Beach in a South Coast Conference baseball game Tuesday at Long Beach.

Hopper, a senior right-hander from Horton, Mich., used a sharp curveball to get or set up many of his strikeouts. Hopper tied the mark set by Al Hrabosky in a game against Rio Hondo in 1969.

Hopper (6-1) allowed 8 hits and walked 3. He struck out the side in the fifth and seventh, had two strikeouts in the first, second, fourth, sixth and ninth and had one in the third and eighth.

“He really had the hammer going today,” Nick Fuscardo, Fullerton coach, said. “After about the fifth, we kept asking him how he felt, and each time he said that he was fine, so we let him go.”

Even with Hopper pitching well, Fullerton still had to score two runs in the ninth to break a 6-6 tie.

Emmitt Cohick hit a 2-2 pitch for a home run to open the ninth for Fullerton (27-7-1 overall, 10-4 in conference play). Greg Gistlinck followed with a single. Phil Diplock sacrificed Gistlinck to second, and Mike Oziminsky singled him home.

Ron Hall (3-3) took the loss for Long Beach (15-16, 7-8).

In another South Coast Conference game:

Golden West 16, Compton 2--Jim Bueccheri went 5 for 5 with 4 runs scored and 2 stolen bases to lead host Golden West (21-11, 9-5). Bueccheri has 40 stolen bases this season. Craig Paquette went 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs. Ken Hokuf (5-2) pitched seven innings, striking out eight, for the victory.

In Orange Empire Conference baseball:

Rancho Santiago 5, Saddleback 2--Rancho Santiago sophomore Bob Hamelin set Orange County records for home runs and RBIs. Hamelin went 2 for 2 with 3 walks. Both hits were home runs, one solo shot and one a two-run homer, giving him 21 for the year. His three RBIs give him 82, breaking the county record of 80. Pitcher Willie Navarette went the distance for Rancho Santiago (29-5, 11-2), giving up six hits and striking out seven.

In Orange Empire Conference softball:

Cypress 6, Orange Coast 0--Colleen Moore (13-6) threw a no-hitter to lead Cypress (25-13, 12-4) at Orange Coast.

Saddleback 5, Riverside 0--Patti Taylor pitched the 29th one-hitter of her career to lead Saddleback (30-3, 16-0) at home. The sophomore from Fountain Valley struck out 14, raising her season total to 300, and picked up her 39th career shutout. Saddleback has won 17 consecutive games.

In South Coast Conference softball:

Golden West 5, Pasadena 3--Winning pitcher Kathy Ellis (4-5) gave up six hits for Golden West (14-4, 9-5) at Pasadena. Pasadena is 11-18 and 5-10.

Fullerton 5, Cerritos 0--Starter Kristin Jacobs and reliever Traci Smith combined for a no-hitter for Fullerton (38-9, 14-1) at Cerritos. Cerritos is 10-5 in conference.