IVC baseball starts with trio of losses
The Saddleback baseball team outscored its opponents, 30-7, in three victories at the Taft College Tournament at Taft High School.
Colin Rooney hit for the cycle and had five hits, including a home run and a triple in the seventh inning, for the Gauchos in a 14-3 victory over Barstow on Saturday.
Saddleback (5-1) then defeated Cabrillo College, 3-2, with solid pitching from starter Zac Johnston, who pitched 4.2 innings before handing the ball to Josh Brayley, who earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. Saddleback took a 2-0 lead on back-to-back triples by Mike Cole and David Walker in the first inning and broke a tie in the seventh when Rooney’s RBI-single plated Max Kirk for the game-winner.
The Gauchos then scored three runs in each of their first four innings against host Taft College en rout to a 13-2 victory. Robbie Ross pitched four innings for the win, Josh Leite had a home run and Erik Mura had a bases-clearing double for Saddleback.