|
 2004
Citi California Community Colleges
Commission on Athletics
Baseball Championship
May 29, Fresno,
CA (John Euless Ball Park)
SEMIFINAL, GAME 2
SADDLEBACK
5, FRESNO 2
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Saddleback ace P.J. Sandoval
tossed a complete game with 10 strikeouts as the Gauchos rallied to beat Fresno,
5-2, in the 2004 Citi California Community Colleges Commission On Athletics
Baseball Championship semifinal, Saturday at Fresno City College's John Euless
Ball Park.
Saddleback (28-12), the
No. 13 seed from Southern California entering the postseason , will face defending-state
champion Cypress (26-13) in an Orange Empire Conference rematch from last year's
final, Sunday at noon.
The game pitted two of the
top pitchers in the state: Sandoval (11-3) and Rams RHP Andy Underwood (12-1).
Saddleback coach Jack Hodges
said both pitchers threw well enough to win.
"Underwood was awfully
tough; he was 12-0 for a reason," Hodges said. "And, P.J. did a great
job for us."
Underwood recorded his 11th
and final strikeout in the game to start the 8th inning , but back-to-back hits
by 1B Keahi Kapana (single) and C Jordan Struble (double) started the Gaucho
rally.
Sophomore 3B Paul Wilson
then, grounded to Fresno SS Jacque Lamoure whose back-handed attempt failed,
allowing Kapana to score easily; the ball rolled into leftfield, where LF Tim
O'Brien also bobbled the ball, and Struble came around to score to give Saddleback
a 4-2 lead.
Kapana's sacrifice fly in
the 9th scored 2B Jorge Ariaza (double) to add an insurance run and make it
5-2.
The host Rams stranded nine
runners on the day, including two in four different innings.
Sandoval allowed just eight
singles, no earned runs, and walked two against a powerful Fresno lineup (.334
team batting average).
Fresno (33-7) took a 2-0
lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Kevin Perry's two-out pop-up to second-baseman
Ariaza was mishandled in shallow centerfield, allowing two runners to score.
Saddleback got on the board
in the 4th when CF Eric Sheridan's two-out single plated Kapana to make it 2-1.
The Gauchos tied the game
at 2-2 in the 7th on a one-out single up the middle by LF Bryce Carrier (Sheridan
single, run).
Cypress and Saddleback placed
third and fourth, respectively, in the tough OEC this season. Cypress has won
seven straight games against its conference foe, including a 13-3 win in the
2003 title game, and all three meetings this season.
Sandoval hopes his team
can break the string on Sunday.
"We've been talking
about the Cypress dog-pile celebration last season," Sandoval said. "Hopefully,
it will be us tomorrow."
-- Report from the California
Community College Sports Information Association, compiled by Eric Mendoza (Fullerton),
and Josh Butters (Fresno assistant).
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