COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Saddleback Is Again Rearmed, Winning

Saddleback sank toward the bottom of the Orange Empire Conference standings earlier this season, thanks to a four-game losing streak caused in part by sore arms among three of the Gauchos’ better pitchers.

But with the rotation back in order and the bullpen up to strength, Saddleback has since reversed the trend with a four-game winning streak.

The Gauchos had three players--Justin Drizos, Mitchell Pang and Neil Garcia--hit their first home runs of the season, and they went on to beat Fullerton, 10-5, Saturday at Saddleback.

Saddleback opened a 6-1 lead with four runs in the fourth inning.

Bo Haley reached base on an infield single and scored when Drizos drove a ball well over the right-field fence.

Wade Jackson singled, and then Pang delivered his home run, in about the same spot Drizos hit his.

Saddleback had scored twice in the first on a passed ball and an RBI double by Haley.

Craig Ainsworth, Saddleback’s starter, allowed an unearned run and four singles in the first five innings. But he gave up a single by Brent Coon, a double by Brandon Farley and a two-run single by Brent Lacher as Fullerton narrowed the lead to 6-3 in the sixth.

Ainsworth allowed a single to Andre Robinson to start the the seventh and was replaced by Steve Lee, who had missed most of a month because of a sore arm.

Lee allowed two more singles for a run, but came back to get two strikeouts before Farley had an RBI double, trimming Saddleback lead’s was down to, 6-5.

Bobby Ray replaced Lee and got out of the inning by picking Farley off second. Shortstop Cade Gaspar got behind Farley and blocked him off the bag as Ray turned and threw.

Drizos added a sacrifice fly in the seventh as Saddleback took a 7-5 lead.

Mike Robertson had an RBI single and Neil Garcia hit a two-run home run in the eighth for Saddleback.

Garcia was down in the count--with one ball and two strikes--he fouled off four pitches, then hit the home run.

“He’s always been our No. 1 competitor (at the plate),” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said.

Gaspar, who also plays shortstop, pitched the final two innings for his second save. He also had been bothered by a sore arm at times this season.

The victory improved Saddleback to 17-8 overall and 8-7 in conference play. The 17 victories are the most in a season for Hodges, who is in his fourth season. Saddleback was 16-20-1 last season, 16-23 in 1991 and 14-21 in 1990.

“It took a big toll early,” Hodges said about the sore arms that included starter Tom Waterman’s. “This team, when healthy, is a really good club.”