Wanders Keeps Saddleback Rolling

Saddleback is the hottest team in the Orange Empire Conference baseball race, and pitcher Chad Wanders is one of the major reasons.

Wanders pitched his fourth consecutive complete game as the host Gauchos beat first-place Cypress, 7-3, Thursday.

It was the 10th victory in the last 12 conference games for Saddleback (22-11-1, 11-7), which started out 1-5 in conference.

It also moved the Gauchos within two games of Cypress (28-10, 13-5) with six left. Rancho Santiago beat Riverside, 6-5, Thursday to move within two games as well.

The teams start the final round of conference play Saturday.

Wanders was slowed by sickness (flu) and soreness (arm) and didn’t pitch in the first month of the season.

But since returning to rotation he is 5-0.

Wanders, a sophomore right-hander, was matched Thursday with Cypress’ Michael Cosgrove (8-1), one of the elite pitchers in Southern California.

“I was pumped up probably more for this game [because of Cosgrove],” said Wanders, who struck out the side in the first inning and finished with eight strikeouts.

He gave up two hits, including a home run by Brian Flanagan, in the first eight innings and was ahead, 2-1.

Saddleback broke the game open with five runs in the eighth, including three-run home run by Kevin Brady. The first two runs scored because of Cypress errors.

Cypress got home runs from Randy Case and Junior Rodriguez in the ninth inning.

Ryan Ruiz and Corie Wilkie opened the first with doubles and Wilkie added an RBI single for Saddleback in the fifth.

The game was scheduled for Cypress, but because of wet grounds it was switched to Saddleback. The teams’ May 4 game has been moved to Cypress.

In other conference games:

Rancho Santiago 6, Riverside 5--Brent Howes had a sacrifice fly to tie it, 5-5, and Tony Zuniga had a two-out single drive in the winning run in the top for the ninth for Rancho Santiago (27-8, 11-7).

Orange Coast 12, Golden West 11 (12 innings)--Visiting Orange Coast (22-13, 6-12) scored once on a throwing error and again on a single by Joe Jones in the 12th. Golden West got one back in the 12th on a double by Todd Vorell but Tom Barilla retired Ken Sundstrom on a popup and Eric Turner got Tim Humble to ground out to end the game.

Riley Breckenridge had a triple, home run and single and drove in three for Golden West (13-20, 4-14).