Gauchos sink Pirates in five innings

The Saddleback softball team made another big statement on Wednesday with a dominating 13-0 win over Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.  The Gauchos are still alive in the playoff hunt with four games left on the schedule.

Saddleback is still in fifth place in the Orange Empire Conference after finishing off the Pirates in five innings.  The Gaucho offense was dominant on Wednesday, pounding out 14 hits as McRae Cayton finished 4-for-4 and Kelsey Hodge hit a home run while sister Jordan Hodge pitched a shutout.

Hodge allowed four hits in five innings in improving to 2-1 on the season.  She allowed no runners past second base for the game and allowed just one walk on the afternoon.

Cayton (pictured) improved her team-leading average to .469 on the season with three singles in a double.  Kelsey Hodge hit her sixth home run of the season in the fifth inning with one runner on base for the final two runs of the game.

Saddleback is now 21-12 overall and 10-8 in Orange Empire Conference play after the win.  The Gauchos trail Santa Ana by one game in the standings and Santiago Canyon by two games with three games remaining in conference play.

Saddleback will play again at Cypress College (30-5, 16-3) on Friday.  First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM.