COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Rancho Santiago’s Thobe Earns Second Save of Week

Steve Thobe saved a solid pitching performance by Brandon Hoalton as Rancho Santiago hung on to beat Orange Coast, 6-5, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Thursday in Santa Ana.

Thobe got the final two outs, getting pinch-hitter Ben Strack to look at a third strike with the tying run on third. It was Thobe’s eighth save of the season and second this week. He saved Rancho Santiago’s 22-17 victory over OCC on Tuesday.

Hoalton (9-0) took a 6-2 lead into the ninth but gave up a two-run home run to Jason Parsons.

Parsons came into the game with 12 consecutive hits but grounded out and struck out in his first two at-bats. He had a seventh-inning single before the home run.

After Parsons’ home run, Aaron Weiss singled, and one out later, Paul McDaniels doubled.

Thobe then replaced Hoalton, who had 12 strikeouts. Thobe got Greg Folsom to ground out, allowing Weiss to score, for the second out. Then Strack looked at a fastball for the final out.

Tony Truel had a two-run single in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the eighth for Rancho Santiago (26-5, 12-5 in conference).

Rancho Santiago has a 1 1/2-game lead over Orange Coast (21-14, 11-7), Cypress (25-11, 11-7) and Riverside (25-11, 11-7).

Riverside is at Rancho Santiago at noon Saturday as the teams start the final six-game round.