Barajas takes Cats on 4-hour cycle ride

The Saddleback baseball team put up historic numbers on Tuesday with a 27-11 win at Golden West College in Huntington Beach.  Catcher Rodrigo Barajas hit for the cycle as the Bobcats smashed out 25 hits in a game that lasted four hours and nine minutes.

Saddleback scored early and often in putting up the most runs-scored since scoring 28 against Compton College in 2008 (28-8).  Saddleback also had 28 runs against Cuesta College in the playoffs in 1994 (28-7).  The 38 combined runs was quite a ways off from the program record as Saddleback and Fullerton once combined for 49 runs in 2010 when Fullerton defeated Saddleback, 25-24.  

Barajas had a magical day.  The freshman catcher from Torrey Pines High School finished 5-for-6 with two home runs and eight RBI while hitting for the cycle.  Barajas opened the day with a solo home run in the first inning to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead.  He then had a triple to drive home Makani Tanaka and Jacob Beauchaine in the top of the fourth inning as Saddleback extended the lead to 7-2.  After Golden West scored five times to tie the game, Barajas then jacked a grand slam in the top half of the fifth inning as the Bobcats exploded for nine runs.  He then had a single to score J.C. Allen in the sixth inning when Saddleback added five more runs to increase the lead to 21-7.  Barajas then completed the cycle with a double in the top half of the seventh inning.

Saddleback's nine-run fifth inning saw the Bobcats send 13 batters to the plate.  Saddleback had five hits, three walks and a hit batsman in the inning. 

Barajas wasn't the only Saddleback player with a big offensive day.  Three other players finished with three hits on the afternoon.  Allen was 3-for-5 with four RBI while reaching base six times (error, hit-by-pitch, walk).  Robert Gray was 3-for-3 with two runs-scored while Beauchaine finished 3-for-7 with three runs-scored and two RBI.  In total, Saddleback had four home runs and seven doubles in the game while the Rustlers rifled through six different pitchers who combined to throw 233 pitches. 

Saddleback improved to 20-11 overall and 8-5 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win.  The Bobcats are now tied with Golden West for second place in the Orange Empire Conference standings, one game back of Santa Ana.

Saddleback and Golden West will resume the series on Thursday at Saddleback.  The first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM.

Game Notes:  Makani Tanaka extended his hitting streak to 31 games with a single in the fourth inning.  The two teams combined to use 41 players in Tuesday's game.