COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Rancho Santiago Gets Around Cypress, 10-8

Rancho Santiago was the favorite to win the Orange Empire Conference this year because of its experienced starting pitching.

But the Dons earned at least a share of the conference title Tuesday because of their pitching depth.

Josh Egan, who hadn’t pitched in 13 days, turned in 4 2/3 innings of solid relief and host Rancho Santiago rallied for a 10-8 victory over second-place Cypress.

It was the 13th consecutive conference victory for Rancho Santiago (33-9, 17-6), which has a 1 1/2-game lead with one left. Cypress (30-11, 15-7) has two games remaining.

“The key for us today was Josh Egan,” Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said. “It’s just fun to play in games like this.”

Egan, a freshman right-hander, replaced starter Kirk Irvine, the Dons’ ace, to start the fifth. Irvine allowed 10 hits and six runs in four innings and left trailing, 6-5.

Egan (3-1) held Cypress scoreless until the ninth, giving his team a chance to rally. The Dons got three in the sixth to take an 8-6 lead and added single runs in the seventh and eighth.

Egan retired the first five and was within one out of the ending the game when he walked Keith Ginter. Mark Selway then hit a two-run home run to cut the lead to 10-8.

Randy Wilson replaced Egan and struck out Mario Opipari looking for the final out.

“Coach is always talking about being ready to answer the bell,” said Egan, who used his curve and change to keep batters off balance.

Egan’s performance came three days after Matt Montgomery, another seldom-used pitcher, threw five solid innings in 3-2 victory over Orange Coast. The Dons have been forced of late to use inexperienced pitchers because starter Brian Martineau is out with a broken hand.

Rancho Santiago tied it, 6-6, the run scoring when Tony Zuniga hit into a force play in the sixth.

Kyle Evans has hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Ryan Fullerton popped up for the second out off Ara Petrosian (4-2), who took the loss. Jamie Estrada followed Fullerton and lined a two-run single to left to put the Dons ahead, 8-6.

*

In other conference games:

Riverside 8, Orange Coast 7--Riverside (22-19, 11-11) rallied after trailing, 7-1, in the seventh. Brian Rios went three for four and Dave Angeloni’s two-run triple in the eighth drove in Jason Clark and Luis Rodriguez with the winning run. Nick Valencia went three for five with five RBIs for Orange Coast (21-20, 11-11), which is tied for third with Riverside.

Saddleback 9, Fullerton 3--Left-hander Graham Mazur (1-0) picked up his first victory of the season, going six innings for Saddleback (20-17, 10-12). Fullerton is 29-13-1, 13-11.