COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BASEBALL REGIONALS : Rancho Santiago Saves Its Best for Last

Jerry Aschoff was in and out of trouble Friday afternoon, but the left-hander was at his best in the end to lead Rancho Santiago College to a 6-4 victory over Mt. San Jacinto in the first round of the Southern California Regional playoffs at Rancho Santiago.

Aschoff (8-3) allowed eight hits, had nine strikeouts and walked six. The sophomore only retired the side in order twice, in the last two innings.

Mt. San Jacinto led, 4-3, after 3 1/2 innings and had 15 base-runners after seven innings.

Rancho Santiago tied it in the fourth on Rob Reimers’ RBI groundout. John Weber had a two-run home run in the sixth for the final margin.

“Aschoff finished up strong,” Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said. “Coach (Jim) Reach asked me who was up for relief in the ninth and I said, ‘No one.’ It was Aschoff’s game.”

Rancho Santiago, the second-seeded team, appeared on the verge of an easy afternoon after its first three hitters reached base. Jeremy Sherman and Steve Grack walked and Conrad Colby doubled home Sherman.

But San Jacinto starter John Vanderburgh settled down from there. He allowed Marty Neff’s sacrifice fly and Chris Floth’s RBI groundout before getting out of the first inning.

Mt. San Jacinto, the 15th-seeded team, came back to tie with three runs in the third. Aschoff struck out the inning’s first two batters, but two walks and a single loaded the bases. Rich Oliphant walked to force home a run, an error by shortstop Shaun Sterling brought in another, and a wild pitch tied the score.

Mt. San Jacinto (20-22) took a 4-3 lead in the fourth. Geoff Clark singled, moved to second on a walk and scored on a two-out single by Pete Golaszewski.

Rancho Santiago (33-9) needs only to win today at 11 a.m. to take the best-of-three series. If the Dons lose, a second game follows 30 minutes after the first.

In another playoff game:

Fullerton 4, College of the Canyons 2--Steve Trachsel pitched a six-hitter and retired 18 in a row between the second and eighth innings for visiting Fullerton (25-13).

Trachsel (9-3) had a chance at a shutout, but a two-out error by shortstop Benny Rodriguez in the ninth brought up Chris Vasquez, who hit a two-run home run.

Rodriguez hit a solo homer, his first, in the fifth to give Fullerton a 3-0 lead. David Weckerle had a solo homer on the first pitch in the ninth as the Hornets went ahead, 4-0.