Resilient Saddleback Routs Rancho Santiago, 16-8

Saddleback showed off its resilient side in beating Rancho Santiago, 16-8, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Saturday at Golden West College.

Saddleback, ranked second in the state, had lost twice to top-ranked Rancho Santiago this season, including a 7-5 loss Thursday in which Saddleback pitchers gave up two-run home runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

Saturday, Saddleback fell behind, 5-1, going into the bottom of the fourth but then Rancho Santiago lost its way. The Dons’ pitchers couldn’t throw strikes and the defense had trouble with hits.

Six Rancho Santiago pitchers combined to walk nine and hit two. Five of the nine who walked and both who were hit scored. The Dons also made five errors, which contributed to six unearned runs.

“I told our guys,” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said, “that what we have done well all year is bounce back after a tough loss, which we did today.”

Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon wasn’t pleased with his team. “We just set the game back with all we did wrong,” he said. “I was very disappointed with our effort today.”

Saddleback (29-6, 12-6) took the lead for good with four runs in the fifth. Danny Rivas drove home the first two with a double. The third run scored on an error and the fourth on a balk that led to a long argument and Rancho Santiago assistant coach Danny Ontivaros being ejected.

Saddleback scored twice in the fifth on a two-out error. Jason Radwan homered, and added a check-swing double that drove in two in the five-run eighth.

Ryan Poe (5-3) picked up the victory in relief, working 4 1/3 innings. He gave up three hits and three runs, all unearned. Poe also struck out six, five looking.

Secoda, who hit a game-winning home run Thursday, had another ninth-inning home run for Rancho Santiago (32-3-1, 14-2). Although Secoda’s homer wasn’t a game winner, it was impressive because of how far it went and who it came against. The home run cleared the center-field fence, which is 417 feet from home. It also was the first run allowed by Kyle Kane in 13 1/3 innings this season.