Baseball takes series from Dons

Baseball takes series from Dons

The Saddleback baseball team took the rubber game of a three-game series with a 5-3 win at Santa Ana College on Saturday in Santa Ana.  With the win, the Gauchos are alone in second place of the Orange Empire Conference.

Saddleback picked up its fourth series win in five tries on Saturday and with six games left in conference play are two games behind first place Orange Coast College.  Chad Crosbie provided the spark on offense, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBI while reaching base three times. 

Crosbie was in the middle of every offensive surge for the Gauchos and ended up being a pain for the Dons.   He doubled home the first run of the game for Saddleback in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 1-1 when he hit a ball to the gap in right-center field to drive home Brett O'Toole.  Crosbie then put the Gauchos ahead in the fourth inning when he hit his third home run of the season over the right field wall for a 2-1 lead.  He later walked with the bases loaded to put Saddleback back in front as part of a decisive, three-run, eighth inning.

Saddleback started Daniel Harris on the mound and the sophomore from Capistrano Valley was solid before leaving in the seventh inning.  Harris spread around eight hits while striking out three before leaving with the game tied and a couple of runners on base.  He turned the ball over the Connor Dand, who got out of a bases loaded jam by getting Nathan Flores to fly out to right field and preserve the 2-2 tie.  Dand (2-0) would pitch through the eighth inning to pick up the win before Connor Sealey entered in the ninth inning for his fifth save of the season. 

Saddleback (24-10, 9-6) has six games remaining in the regular season, starting with a three-game series with Cypress College (23-11, 8-7) on Tuesday.  The Gauchos are two games back of Orange Coast in the OEC standings and one game in front of both Cypress and Fullerton.  Saddleback plays at Cypress on Tuesday (2:00 pm) and Saturday (12:00 pm) while hosting the Chargers on Thursday (2:00 pm).