Sea View League Baseball : Rodriguez’s Arrival Is in Time for Saddleback

A week ago, Joe Rodriguez was just another Saddleback High School junior varsity baseball player. A good one, to be sure, but still a member of the junior varsity.

Today? Well, Rodriguez is a big reason why Saddleback’s varsity team is again the Sea View League champions.

Rodriguez, a junior, made a successful dash to the plate in the top of the seventh that gave Saddleback a 3-2 victory over host Estancia Wednesday.

With the victory, the Roadrunners clinched the league championship, as they lead second-place Tustin and Estancia by four games with three remaining. It’s Saddleback’s second consecutive league championship.

Rodriguez, a junior who was called up to the varsity on Friday to gain experience for next season, entered the game in the third inning as a defensive replacement for Jose DeSantiago. But, in the seventh, he contributed to the offense.

With the score tied, 2-2, Rodriguez reached first on a fielder’s choice, bringing up pitcher Mike Arroyos with two out. Arroyos lined a single into the gap in left-center field, and, when left fielder Dan Doughtery let the ball get past him, Rodriguez kept on coming to the plate, scoring without a play.

“I saw the ball was hit into the gap and I was pretty sure I could score,” Rodriguez said. “I came around second (base) and saw coach (Bob Mangram) waving his arms. I just put down my head and kept running.”

Said Mangram: “I stuck him in there as a defensive replacement and he ends up scoring the winning run. We just wanted to get a look at him and he wins the game.”

Rodriguez’s dash made a winner out of Arroyos, who has yet to lose a game this season. Arroyos (8-0) had a no-hitter and a 2-1 lead for 3 innings.

However, Estancia’s first hit was a solo home run by pitcher Conrad Colby with one out in the fourth to tie the score. Arroyos finished with a two-hitter.

Colby (5-3) gave up six hits and just one earned run, but it was his throwing error on a pickoff attempt that allowed the Roadrunners (17-5 overall, 11-1 in league play) to score the second of two runs in the fourth.

Estancia (14-8, 7-5) took a 1-0 lead in the first, when Dougherty led off with a walk, stole second and eventually scored on a groundout by Colby.

In other Sea View League games:

University 5, Tustin 4 (11 innings)--Host University (10-13, 6-6) had the bases loaded with one out in the 11th when Casey Simpson was awarded first base on catcher’s interference, forcing in the winning run. Garth Viar (5-8) pitched all 11 innings, striking out nine, for the Trojans’ sixth consecutive victory.

Corona del Mar 10, Newport Harbor 3--Kurt Ehmann went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs and winning pitcher Gary Sussman (3-2) went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored to lead Corona del Mar (6-11, 4-8) at Newport Harbor.