Colon Steps Up for Saddleback

There’s no question who the top pitcher for Saddleback is this season. Ryan Poe, with a 13-1 record, fills that role nicely.

Now, there is little doubt about the No. 2 slot either, thanks to the emergence of freshman right-hander Kekoa Colon.

He gave up three hits and only one run in seven innings Saturday as the Gauchos beat Glendale, 8-1, to sweep the best-of-three Southern California playoff series.

Colon (4-1) started the season as a reliever but as he got more comfortable pitching on the college level, was switched to the starting rotation.

His performance came after Poe pitched an eight-hit shutout Friday in Saddleback’s 9-0 victory.

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

Colon had five strikeouts and retired the final nine he faced after giving up a fifth-inning home run. Pat Versluis was perfect in two innings of relief.

Glendale loaded the bases in the first but Colon got a strikeout to end the threat and retired the side in order in four of the next six innings.

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

Kirk Bolling, Nick Punto and Denny Seybert each scored two runs for top-seeded Saddleback, which will host one of two regional sites.

In Friday’s games at Saddleback: The Gauchos play Orange Empire Conference rival Cypress and Citrus faces Cerritos.

In the other regional at Riverside: The Tigers play Los Angeles Harbor and Santa Ana plays Palomar.

The second round is double elimination and the winner of each site moves on to the state tournament.