Community College Baseball Roundup : Rancho Santiago Holds On to First Place With 21-9 Victory Over Cypress

Rancho Santiago College, faced with falling out of first place for the first time in six weeks, pounded Cypress, 21-9, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Thursday at Rancho Santiago.

Rancho Santiago led, 9-7, going into the seventh inning, then rolled up 12 runs on eight hits, including home runs by Marty Neff and Conrad Colby to take a 21-7 lead.

The middle of the Rancho Santiago order--Colby, John McTaggart, Sean Ramos and Neff--did most of the damage. The four combined for 14 hits, 15 RBIs and 10 runs.

Colby, who is leading the conference with a .423 average, had two home runs, a triple and a double. Colby, who has five home runs, capped the seventh with a three-run home run well over the right-field fence. He scored five runs and drove in five.

McTaggart had four hits, including two doubles and a triple, scored three runs and drove in three.

Ramos had three hits, including two doubles, scored a run and had four RBIs.

Neff had three hits, including a two-run home run in the seventh. He scored a run and had three RBIs. It was Neff’s team-leading 10th home run.

The victory give Rancho Santiago (26-13 overall and 15-6 in conference play) a one-game lead over Orange Coast (27-10-1, 14-7). Cypress (27-13, 13-7), which could have moved into first with a victory, falls 1 1/2 games back.

Rancho Santiago has a bye Saturday, while Orange Coast is at Golden West and Riverside is at Cypress. Saddleback is at Fullerton in the other conference game. All three start at noon.

“I told our players to enjoy tonight, but tomorrow it starts all over again,” Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said. “The race is far from over. We may have won the battle, but the war is not over.”

Rancho Santiago starter Willie Navarrette (10-4) wasn’t great, but he pitched just well enough to win. He allowed nine runs, seven earned, in 7 1/3 innings. He has 21 career victories for the Dons, which ties the school record held by John Vaught (1967-68).

Rich Lodding started for Cypress but was replaced by Jeff Patterson in the third. Cypress rallied with four runs in the fifth to make it 5-5, but Rancho Santiago, which had 20 hits, scored one in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 9-6 lead.

Patterson (7-3), who pitched a three-hitter to shut out OCC Saturday, took the loss.

Cypress got solo home runs from Terry Tewell, his fifth, Jason Friedman, his ninth, and Mitch Kaylor, his fourth.

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Orange Coast 6, Riverside 2--Tommy Irwin (3-1) pitched a nine-hitter with seven strikeouts for visiting Orange Coast, which scored four runs in the first inning. Hector Santa Cruz walked, and Craig Nixon was hit by a pitch. After an out and a wild pitch, Scott Talanoa singled home both. Marty Cordova then tripled to score Talanoa and scored on sacrifice fly by Darrell Conner.

Cordova had three hits, including two doubles, and scored two runs. Mike Kelly had a triple and scored a run in the sixth for OCC. Mike Garcia (1-11) took the loss for Riverside (6-24-1, 3-17-1).

Fullerton 3, Golden West 2--Steve Trachsel (3-6) worked out of a ninth-inning jam for the victory. Mike Carabba’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth pulled the Rustlers to within one, 3-2. But, with runners on first and second, Trachsel got Frank Herman to ground out to end the game. Trachsel allowed10 hits and struck out three. Golden West (17-13-1) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Dan Villagas. The Hornets took the lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by Willie Speakman. Kenny Humphrey had an RBI single in the fifth to give Fullerton a 3-1 lead.