Rancho Santiago Not Pleased Despite Victory

It’s getting late enough in the Orange Empire Conference baseball race that coaches are more worried about the outcome of a game than the specifics.

Even with that in mind, Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon was as frustrated as he’s ever been despite watching his team beat visiting Golden West, 14-7, Saturday.

Sneddon’s ire was raised by his team’s eight errors. Golden West had five.

“That was very painful,” Sneddon said. “It was one of the most painful victories I’ve ever had. The level of baseball was brought down to an almost all-time low for our program. There’s just no excuse for play at that level for either team.”

The game started with a pitching duel between Golden West’s Josh LaRocca and Rancho Santiago’s Orin Kawahara. Golden West led, 2-1, going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but Rancho Santiago scored four runs in the inning, including two on a single by Kevin Duck.

Golden West scored four in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. The first two runs came across when a single by Ken Sundstrom went under the glove of right fielder Erik Sobek and rolled to the fence.

Sundstrom reached third on the play and scored on a squeeze bunt by Todd Vorell. Rancho Santiago reliever Josh Egan picked up the ball and threw it over catcher Sean McMahon’s head on the bunt.

Vorell reached second on the play and scored on a single by Kevin Locken.

Rancho Santiago scored four more in the seventh. Mike Brambilla and Duck had run-scoring singles, another run scored on a passed ball and the other on a wild pitch.

The Dons (26-8, 10-6) added five more in the eighth, including the final two on a home run by Brambilla, his seventh.

Egan (2-0) got the victory and Mike Lopez gave up a hit and struck out two in the final two innings for his second save.

Vorell had a hit and drove in two runs and Locken and Charlie Tuggle had two hits each for Golden West (13-18, 4-12).

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Cypress 9, Fullerton 7 (11)--Cypress scored two runs in the top of the 11th inning to defeat Fullerton (9-9 in conference). Scott Daeley’s sacrifice fly drove in the first run and pinch-runner Brian North scored the second run on an error.

Brian Flannigan had a two run triple for Cypress (27-9, 12-4).

Saddleback 3, Orange Coast 2--Ryan Ruiz singled with one out in the ninth inning, stole second and third base and scored on a two-out passed ball to lift Saddleback (21-10-1, 10-6).

Ruiz, who was two for five with two runs scored, also robbed Orange Coast’s Joe Jones of a potential home run, leaping at the wall in center field in the top of the ninth inning.

The Gauchos remained one game behind first-place Cypress. The two teams meet twice next week.

At the BFI Track and Field Meet of Champions:

Patton wins--Julie Patton won the women’s pole vault with a 10-4 effort. Her nearest competitor was Ashley Hickman of Moorpark who vaulted 8-6.

Fullerton’s Amy Phillips won the women’s javelin with a distance of 117-7.