COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL : Higbee’s Two Doubles and Five RBIs Lead Rancho Santiago

Jeff Higbee, leading off for the first time this season, helped Rancho Santiago extend its lead in the Orange Empire Conference baseball race by beating Golden West, 10-7, Thursday in Santa Ana.

Higbee, a platoon player, had two doubles and five runs batted in for the Dons (24-11, 15-6 in conference). The victory gives Rancho Santiago a 2 1/2-game lead over Riverside, which was idle Thursday, with three games left.

Rancho Santiago is off Saturday and Riverside plays host to Fullerton.

Rancho Santiago had lost its last two conference games, both times, 2-1, in 10 innings.

The offensive struggles continued for the first four innings as Golden West’s Joe Aguirre allowed one hit and no runs. But the Dons rallied for eight runs in the fifth inning, keyed by Higbee. With the bases loaded and one out, he drove a bases-clearing double into the left-field corner to put Rancho Santiago ahead, 3-2.

Robin Lindsey and Derek Brown had RBI singles and Steve Thobe drove a three-run homer over the left-field fence to cap the eight-run inning.

Higbee added a two-run double in the sixth to score Tony Truel and Octavio Medina, who had each singled.

Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said he moved Higbee to the leadoff spot to help spark the offense. “I had to try something,” Sneddon said. “We’ve been searching for just that, someone to come off the bench and give us a boost.”

Rancho Santiago starter J.J. Thobe, who has pitched well in his last two starts but lost each game, wasn’t sharp Thursday but still got the victory. He allowed 10 hits and five runs, four earned, in 5 2/3 innings to improve his record to 7-3.

“That was the first time that Thobe hasn’t had a good outing,” Sneddon said. “It was nice that the club picked him up this time. He has been doing it all season.”

Joe Foss, the third Rancho Santiago reliever, allowed a hit and no runs in 2 1/3 innings for his second save.

Medina had three hits, and Higbee, Lindsey and Truel had two each for Rancho Santiago.

John Arnold, David Schultz, Harvey Perez and Marty Osborne had two hits each for Golden West (14-17-1, 7-13).

In other conference games:

Fullerton 5, Orange Coast 1--Jerry Ashcraft had two hits, including a double, and scored a run as Fullerton (17-16-1, 10-11) won at home.

The victory moves Fullerton within a half-game of third-place OCC (19-13, 10-10). Tim Carman (4-4) allowed three hits and struck out five in seven innings for the victory. Fullerton pitching has allowed two runs in its past 19 conference innings at home. But the Hornets gave up 14 runs Tuesday at Saddleback.

Chad Rolish (3-4) allowed five hits in eight innings, but OCC made four errors that led to two unearned runs.

Cypress 12, Saddleback 7--Rick Orr pitched five innings of two-hit relief, allowing one run while striking out six to earn the victory for visiting Cypress (23-17, 9-12).

Greg Cole had two hits, scored three runs, drove in three more and hit his team-leading seventh homer of the season.

Mark Wells hit his seventh homer for host Saddleback (16-17-1, 9-12).