COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Minici’s Homer in Ninth Sparks Rancho Santiago

Jason Minici hit a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth to give host Rancho Santiago a 6-5 victory over Fullerton in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Tuesday.

Fullerton (16-15-1, 7-10 in conference) scored three runs in the eighth, helped by three errors, to take a 5-2 lead.

Daryle Ward’s RBI double with two outs in the ninth cut Fullerton’s lead to 5-3, bringing Minici up to the plate.

Minici’s home run came off Fullerton’s Brian Tokarse, who gave up a three-run home run to Nick Valencia in the ninth as OCC beat Fullerton, 8-7, Saturday.

Rancho Santiago (27-9, 10-7) plays Fullerton again at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Fullerton.

In other conference games:

Saddleback 7, Cypress 5--Wade Jackson hit a three-run home in the eighth inning to give visiting Saddleback (20-10-1, 10-7) a 7-2 lead. Dennis Cring allowed four runs, two earned, and 12 hits in eight-plus innings for the victory. Craig Ainsworth pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Andy Gonzales had four hits, including a double, and drove in two runs for Cypress (26-10, 12-5), which travels to Saddleback Thursday for a 2:30 p.m. game.

Riverside 4, Golden West 3 (10)--First-place Riverside (26-7, 13-4) moved one game in front of Cypress with the victory.