COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Saddleback Wins With Five-Run Ninth

Saddleback blew a five-run lead but came back with five runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Rancho Santiago, 11-10, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Wednesday at Saddleback.

Jose Gonzalez singled in the tying run for Saddleback (11-11, 4-6), took third on an error by catcher Jamie Estrada, and scored on Jon Lauderdale’s two-out single.

Kyle Evans hit a three-run home run in the fifth and Estrada a home run in the sixth for the Dons (16-8, 4-6).

In other Orange Empire Conference baseball:

Orange Coast 5, Cypress 0--Tom Cerasuolo pitched a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts to lead Orange Coast (14-11, 5-3). The freshman left-hander from Tustin High retired the final 13 Cypress batters to improve his record to 4-1, bringing the Pirates within a game of Cypress (20-5-1, 7-3). Nick Valencia hit a two-run home run and Deric Yanagisawa added a bases-empty home run in the four-run fourth for Orange Coast.

In Orange Empire Conference softball:

Fullerton 1, Riverside 0--Jennifer Johnson’s single drove in Cindy Escobedo in the first inning for Fullerton (14-4, 6-2). Stephanie Mendoza, who allowed two hits, is 8-1 for the Hornets.

In nonconference men’s volleyball:

Irvine Valley 3, Santa Barbara 0--Jon Habben had 17 kills for host Irvine Valley, which won, 15-4, 14-7, 15-7. Irvine Valley is 3-6.

Los Angeles Pierce 3, Orange Coast 0--Jason Crone had 20 kills for defending State champion Orange Coast, which lost, 15-6, 15-9, 16-14, in a rematch of last season’s State title match.

Last year, Orange Coast came from behind to beat Pierce in three games, 16-14, 17-15, 15-13. Pierce is 9-1; the Pirates are 9-3.