Gauchos hammer Tigers in CV opener

The Saddleback baseball team started its three-day tour of the Central Valley with a 10-2 win over Reedley College on Tuesday in Reedley.  The Gauchos were scoreless until the fifth inning before striking for 10 runs in the next four innings.

Saddleback (16-3) trailed 1-0 heading into the top of the fifth inning after Reedley (14-9) pieced together three hits in the bottom of the fourth inning off of starter John Sheaks.  The Gauchos answered with three of their own to take a lead they would never relinquish. 

With one outs and two men on base, Kyle Candalla singled home both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Robbie Biehl  to give Saddleback a 2-1 lead.  It was one of three straight singled by the Gauchos, with the last coming from Luke Jarvis to give Saddleback a 3-1 lead.

Jarvis (pictured) would finish the day 3-for-5 with four RBI, with his big blow coming in the eighth inning.  With two men on base and Saddleback leading 7-2, Jarvis got a ball up into the jet stream in right field and it never came back.  It was Jarvis' first home run of the season and gave the Gauchos a commanding 10-2 lead.

Sheaks pitched through the seventh inning to improve to 5-0 on the season.  He gave up eight hits while striking out four before turning the ball over to the bullpen.  Jordan Scheftz and Eric Neeley both pitched an inning of relief, striking out one batter apiece.

Saddleback will continue its tour of the Central Valley on Wednesday when it heads to College of the Sequoias (5-14), in Visalia, California.  The Gauchos and Giants are scheduled to start at 1:00 PM.