COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Fontana’s Pitching, Plus 18 Hits Help Rancho Santiago Rout Riverside

Rancho Santiago, which has dominated with pitching most of the season, added outstanding hitting Thursday and the Dons pummeled Riverside, 14-2, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game in Santa Ana.

The strong pitching came from the usual source--sophomore right-hander Mike Fontana. He allowed one run and six hits in seven innings to improve to 9-0. Fontana, relying heavily on sliders, struck out five of the first six batters he faced. He finished with nine strikeouts and no walks.

“I try not to think about my record,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, my record is 0-0.”

David Goldstein had pitched a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts Tuesday as Rancho Santiago beat Riverside, 5-2. The victory Thursday gave the Dons (21-8, 14-4 in conference) a two-game lead over second-place Riverside (21-9, 12-6) with six games left. The teams were tied before the home-and-home series.

The Dons had 18 hits, including three each by David Gonzalez (three RBIs) and Robin Lindsey (two RBIs). Chris Lugo, Derek Brown, Steve Thobe (three RBIs), and Tony Truel had two hits each for the Dons.

Truel started things with a walk in the third. Octavio Medina reached on an error and Gonzalez drove both in with a triple. Lindsey followed with his fourth home run. Aaron Butler then blooped a double and scored on a single by Derek Brown to give Rancho Santiago a 5-0 lead.

Rancho Santiago added five more runs in the fifth and four in the sixth.

“That’s out best hitting performance of the year,” Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said. “We finally put pitching and hitting together.”

In other Orange Empire Conference baseball games:

Orange Coast 14, Saddleback 3--Sophomore left-hander Chad Rolish pitched a five-hitter as visiting Orange Coast (15-10, 9-9) moved into third place. Rolish had a save Tuesday as OCC beat Saddleback, 12-10.

Alphonzo Montoya had four hits, scored three runs and drove in four, and Daniel Hernandez had three hits, including a double, and drove in two for OCC. Saddleback (13-14-1, 7-11) made seven errors.

Golden West 5, Fullerton 0--Joe Aguirre (1-2) pitched a two-hitter--singles by Whit Haydon in the sixth and eighth innings--struck out seven and and walked six for visiting Golden West (14-14-1, 7-11). David Schultz had a three-run home run in the ninth for the Rustlers. Fullerton is 15-14-1, 8-10.

In nonconference baseball:

Cypress 7, L.A. Harbor 6--Reliever Rick Orr pitched out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning as the host Chargers upset Los Angeles Harbor, which is ranked fifth in the state.