Saddleback Hangs On to Win, 15-14

John Lauderdale’s two-run homer, his 11th of the season, capped a seven-run sixth inning and Saddleback held on to beat Rancho Santiago, 15-14, in an Orange Empire Conference game Tuesday at Saddleback. The Gauchos (25-12-1, 14-8) moved ahead of the Dons (29-11, 13-9) into second place with two games left.

The Dons threatened in the top of the ninth, scoring four runs. But with the tying run at second base and the go-ahead run at first, reliever Ryan McDermott got Rancho Santiago’s Erik Sobek to ground out and end the game.

In other conference games:

Orange Coast 11, Fullerton 6--Joe Jones hit a two-run double and an RBI triple for Orange Coast (23-16, 7-15). Fullerton (22-16, 9-13) has lost 14 of its last 18 conference games.

Riverside 2, Golden West 1--Luke Fox led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on a groundout for Golden West (15-22, 6-16). Kevin Olsen of Riverside (26-15-1, 12-11) gave up only two hits the rest of the game and struck out eight.

In the Southern California men’s tennis playoffs:

Saddleback 5, Grossmont 2--Kevin Springer, down, 4-2, in the third set, came back to win, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5, as Saddleback won in the semifinals at La Costa. The Gauchos play the winner of College of the Desert-Marymount in the finals Thursday.

In the Southern California women’s tennis playoffs:

Saddleback 5, El Camino 1--Marie Hosoi beat Ann Nakagawa, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and Sandy Peters beat Erika Pitts, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, to lead Saddleback (16-2) past El Camino (18-1) in the semifinals. The Gauchos play Grossmont in the finals.