COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Gauchos’ Crine Hangs In, Beats Cypress

Saddleback’s Dennis Crine allowed seven hits and pitched around six errors as the host Gauchos beat Cypress, 4-2, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Saturday.

It was the first complete game of the season for Crine (3-2), a sophomore right-hander. Cypress (16-5, 4-2) scored single runs in the second and third, but Crine was in control after that.

Crine retired 15 of the final 17. He would have got the last nine in a row except for a one-out error in the ninth.

“He wanted this one badly,” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said. “He just got a little bit stronger in the middle innings.”

Ted Wilkes had an RBI double and Sam Voita an RBI single as the Gauchos (9-5-1, 4-2) scored twice in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead.

Voita had doubled and scored on single by Wes Brasher to start the fourth for Saddleback.

David Trentine had an RBI single in the second, and Jason Hodges had a sacrifice fly in the third for Cypress’ runs.

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Fullerton 13, Rancho Santiago 10--Rancho Santiago’s Brandon Hoalton suffered his first collegiate loss after winning 17 in a row. Fullerton (9-8-1, 3-3) built a 10-0 lead after four innings behind Chad Smith’s three-run home run. Steve Escobar had a double, triple and three RBIs, and Erickson Dumaual went four for four and scored three times.

Riverside 7, Golden West 2--Dustin Martin had two hits, including a triple, for Golden West (7-10, 1-5). Teammate Rob Prince had two hits and an RBI. Riverside (16-2, 6-0) remained unbeaten in the conference, and pitcher Jeff Barker improved to 6-0.

In the Golden West softball tournament:

Rancho Santiago 12, Golden West 11--Renee Taylor scored the game-winning run in the sixth inning with a shot down the left field line for Rancho Santiago (10-8). Taylor finished three for four with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBIs.

Jennifer Boston was four for four with a run-scored and an RBI for Golden West (3-10), which was eliminated from the tournament with the loss. Play continues today.