No. 1 Saddleback Throws Glendale Into Next Season

Freshman right-hander Kekoa Colon allowed three hits in seven innings Saturday and top-seeded Saddleback College swept Glendale out of their best-of-three Junior College Southern California baseball playoff series, 8-1, at Saddleback.

Colon (4-1), who started the season as a reliever, backed up the eight-hitter pitched by Ryan Poe (13-1) in the Gauchos’ 9-0 victory over Glendale on Friday.

“Colon has picked it up in the second half of the season,” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said. “He was throwing strikes and moving the ball in and out really well.”

Colon had five strikeouts and retired the final nine batters after giving up a fifth-inning home run to first baseman Mike Bench. Pat Versluis was perfect in two innings of relief.

Jason Marion hit a home run and drove in two runs and Greg Pines had two hits and drove in two runs for Saddleback (34-9).

Glendale (27-17) loaded the bases in the first when Matt Hellman and John Campanella singled, and Eli Albertson was hit by a pitch, but Luis Alcarez struck out to end inning.

The Vaqueros were retired in order in six of nine innings.

“They are a good club,” Hodges said. “They were always swinging but they just hit a lot of balls at people.”

Billy Huddleston (0-2), a reliever who had five saves, started and allowed seven hits and four runs (all earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three.