Sacramento Rallies Leave Saddleback in State of Loss

The accomplishments of the Saddleback College baseball team this season were lost for the moment in an emotional 10-9 loss to Sacramento in the final of the state community college tournament Monday.

That Saddleback set a record for victories (39) and several players established marks will be considered later.

Instead, Saddleback was left to wonder what happened after the Gauchos lost a 4-0 lead and a 9-5 lead.

Sacramento’s final rally came in the eighth inning when the Panthers scored five runs, four unearned, to take a 10-9 lead.

After that, Sacramento turned it over to pitcher Mike Neu, who retired all six he faced for his first save. No team scored a ninth-inning run against Sacramento (44-2) this season. Neu, who was 13-0 as a starter and beat Los Angeles Harbor in the first game of the tournament, was selected as the most valuable player.

“We had some great sophomores and freshmen,” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said. “Even in losing we were aggressive. Win or lose, we had a great year and we rewrote the record book getting here.”

The big trouble for Saddleback started in the eighth. Reliever Mike Leinen entered with runners on first and second and Saddleback up 9-6. Leinen threw to second, where Keith Koverman was caught well off the base. Koverman broke for third and made it when the ball went off the glove of third baseman Kirk Bolling for an error.

But there was more to the play, Saddleback players said. “He stuck his hand out and I couldn’t see the ball,” Bolling said.

“He watched me throw it and put his hand out,” said shortstop Nick Punto.

Later in the inning, a balk by reliever Jason Marian, who normally plays first base, then a throwing error by catcher Lars Birkeland led to the tying and go-ahead runs.

“We had nothing to lose,” Hodges said. “If we made mistakes it was because of adrenaline.”

Greg Pines, a freshman designated hitter, had two home runs for Saddleback to finish with 17. He was one short of the college’s single-season record set by Bolling this season. Bolling also set the career mark with 32.

Pines had a three-run home run in the first inning and then hit a two-run shot in the fifth to put Saddleback up, 6-5. Pines drove in nine runs in four tournament games.

Birkeland added a run-scoring double and Denny Seybert had an RBI single also in the inning.

Saddleback later loaded the bases with two outs and Marian had a single to right to put the Gauchos up 9-5. Seybert also tried to score on the play but was called out when the umpire ruled that he never touched home.

It was the fourth state title for Sacramento, which has lost nine times in the final, including last year to Cypress. Sacramento last won in 1988.

It was the first time Saddleback (39-12), which would have had to have beaten Sacramento twice to win the title, made it to the final.

Notes

Saddleback’s Ryan Poe was selected as one of three community college state baseball players of the year and third baseman Kirk Bolling got the Big Stick award, which goes to the top all-around hitter. The awards were announced during the state tournament in Fresno.

Poe, a sophomore right-hander from Trabuco Hills High who is 14-1, shared the honor with Dave O’Keeffe of Canada and Bud Smith of Los Angeles Harbor. O’Keeffe plays third base and Smith is a pitcher and an outfielder.

Saddleback shortstop Nick Punto (Trabuco Hills High) and designated hitter Greg Pines (Garden Grove High) and Santa Ana outfielder Rick Gonzalez (Tustin High) also made the state’s first team.

Cypress left-handed pitcher Steve Smyth made the All-Southern California team.