Bobcats suddenly surging

The Saddleback baseball team won its fifth game in six tries with a 7-3 win against Santa Ana College on Thursday at Saddleback.  The Bobcats are now above .500 in Orange Empire Conference play with four games remaining in the regular season.

Riverside looked ready from the outset when they scored a run in the top of the first inning and had the bases loaded with only one out in the inning.  However, the Bobcats turned the tables when starter Damon Anderson Wolf got a strikeout and fly out to keep the Dons in check with a 1-0 lead.

Saddleback quickly responded, scoring four times in the bottom half of the first inning and chasing the Santa Ana starter from the game after recording just one out.  The first 6-of-7 batters reached base for the Bobcats, with Dmitri Susidko leading off the inning with a walk.  Both James Derflinger and Jacob Beauchaine were hit by pitches to load the bases with one out in the inning.  The next batter was Rodrigo Barajas who made the Dons' starter pay a price with a two-run single to right field for a 2-1 lead.  Joey Doskocil followed with a single to score Beauchaine before the Santa Ana starter was yanked.  The new pitcher was greeted with a single from Bryson Hoier to score Barajas for a 4-1 advantage.

Santa Ana cut the lead to 4-2 in the top half of the third inning but again the Bobcats responded.  Barajas led off the inning with a triple to center field before coming home to score on a wild pitch.

Saddleback increased the lead to 7-2 in the bottom half of the fifth inning and again it was Barajas as the catalyst.  He led off the inning with a single and later came around to score on a two-run single from Jake Tyler.

Meanwhile the Saddleback pitching staff was great in sticky situations.  Anderson Wolf pitched through the fifth inning in picking up third win of the season.  He spread around eight hits over five innings while striking out four Dons in the process.  Jake Porter and Isaac Rodriguez pitched two innings apiece in relief in holding down the fort for the win. 

Barajas had his best game of the season on offense, finishing 4-for-5 with three runs scored.  Susidko remained hot at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks.  Susidko has now reached base four times in three of the past five games and four times since the beginning of April.

Saddleback is now 23-13 overall and 9-8 in Orange Empire Conference play.  The Bobcats remain in sole possession of fourth place in conference play, trailing both Santa Ana and Riverside City by two games in the race for second place. 

Saddleback and Santa Ana will finish the series on Saturday in Santa Ana.  The first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM in Santa Ana.