Saddleback Reaches State Final

Saddleback eliminated Canada College, 15-4, to reach the final of the state community college baseball tournament here Sunday.

But the Gauchos face a difficult task of improving on the Orange Empire Conference’s run of five consecutive titles.

Saddleback must beat Sacramento twice today to be champion.

The Gauchos started Sunday in frustrating fashion by leaving 14 on base and making four errors in a 5-3 loss to Sacramento. But the Gauchos stayed alive by defeating Canada on Sunday night.

Canada eliminated Los Angeles Harbor, 5-4, on Sunday.

“That was a better game,” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said after his team defeated Canada. “We hope to make it a long day.”

Finding strong pitching will be Saddleback’s main concern today because starters Ryan Poe (14-1), Kekoa Colon (6-2) and Pat Versluis (8-2) have already thrown at least seven innings.

Sacramento (43-2) probably will start Kevin Marzion (9-0). Hodges listed Mike Leinen (2-0), Charlie Dieruf (2-0) or Mike Pazzulla (0-0) as his possible starters.

Versluis gave Saddleback a big lift by going the distance against Canada, giving up six hits and striking out six.

The Gauchos left six more runners on base in the first three innings of the second game, but scored twice in the fourth on a two-run single by Jason Marian, who also had a two-run double in the seventh inning.

Saddleback also scored three runs in the fifth.

Lars Birkeland, who hit a three-run homer in the ninth, had four RBIs.

That kind of support was absent for Colon against Sacramento.

The Gauchos got nine hits, including six in the last three innings, but couldn’t put together a big inning.

With one out, Saddleback loaded the bases in the ninth on singles by Groomer and Clare Langford and a walk to Birkeland.

But after Birkeland walked, Denny Seybert hit into a game-ending double-play.

“We just couldn’t get that one big hit,” Hodges said. “Three or four times we were one swing away from a big inning. But I’m proud of our team because they battled every inning.”

A big hit became necessary when the Gauchos made three errors, which led to four unearned runs in the fifth as Sacramento took a 5-1 lead.

“We outplayed them,” Hodges said. “We just gave them [four] unearned runs and that hurt.”

In the first round Saturday against Canada, Colon (6-2) was the winner. He came back strong Sunday. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out two. He also retired nine of the last 10.

“It was frustrating but that’s how the game goes sometimes,” Colon said.

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County Connection Previous area teams in title game

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Winner Runner-Up 1952 Santa Rosa Santa Ana 1955 Contra Costa Orange Coast 1956 Orange Coast Coalinga (West Hills) 1960 Orange Coast Oakland (Laney) 1962 Fresno Orange Coast 1980 Orange Coast Los Angeles Valley 1986 Canyons Rancho Santiago (Santa Ana) 1988 Sacramento Rancho Santiago (Santa Ana) 1991 Cypress Sacramento 1993 Rancho Santiago (Santa Ana) Sacramento 1994 Cypress Rancho Santiago (Santa Ana) 1995 Rancho Santiago (Santa Ana) Cerritos Coast 1996 Rancho Santiago (Santa Ana) Cypress 1997 Cypress Sacramento

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SOURCE: State tournament