College Roundup : Sisco, Kaelin Help Moorpark Beat Glendale

Steve Sisco hit a two-run home run and Kris Kaelin provided a two-run triple as Moorpark College collected 17 hits en route to a 12-5 Western State Conference victory Tuesday at Glendale.

Sisco’s towering home run over the fence in left-center field tied the score, 5-5, in the fifth inning. The Raiders added three runs in the seventh on Don Smith’s two-run single and Loyd Wood’s run-scoring single.

Moorpark (22-14, 11-8 in conference play) continued to pull away with four more runs in the ninth. Sisco and Craig Pearson opened the inning with singles to chase Vaquero starter Mike Larsen (2-4). Kaelin then tripled in both runners and scored on Dan Smith’s single.

Moorpark scored in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead into the fourth. Glendale, hitless against sophomore right-hander Todd Gerbovaz through three innings, rallied for five runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. Tom Ball led the rally with a run-scoring double as Glendale (15-20, 8-11) collected eight of its 10 hits in the inning.

Paul Perce, who relieved Gerbovaz with two out in the fourth, allowed three hits in 5 1/3innings for the victory.

Sisco led Moorpark with three hits.

With the victory, fourth-place Moorpark remained in contention for a berth in the WSC’s five-team Shaughnessy playoff tournament beginning Tuesday. The Raiders conclude the regular season against Oxnard on Saturday at home.

“I think this win might have taken some of the pressure off of us as far as Saturday,” Moorpark Coach Ron Stillwell said. “Now, we might not have to pitch (John) Chiaramonte on Saturday and we can save him for the playoffs.”

Glendale has lost five of its past six games and has scored in only four of its past 54 innings.