Bobcats prey on Cougars in home opener

The Saddleback baseball team improved to 2-0 with a 20-2 win over College of the Canyons on Saturday at Doug Fritz Field.  The Bobcats scored 15 runs in the first two innings in blowing the game wide open.

Saddleback has been about as good as one could expect over the first two games.  The Bobcats have scored 37 runs on 34 hits, getting 20-or-more players into each game. 

Saddleback made quick work of Canyons on Saturday, sending 13 batters to the plate in the opening inning and 13 more in the second inning.  The Bobcats struck for eight runs in the first and seven in the second in taking a 15-1 lead through two innings of play.

Catcher Jordan Dissin (pictured) had the big blow for Saddleback in the opening inning when he blasted a pitch over the center field wall for a 4-0 lead.  Later in the inning Brent Riddle tripled to left field with the bases loaded, and came home to score when the Canyons catcher threw the ball into left field in allowing Riddle to round the bases.

Saddleback tacked on seven more runs in the second inning, taking advantage of some pitching issues for the Cougars.  The first two batters of the inning were plunked by pitches before Luc Stuka singled and Tyler DeClusin doubled as the Bobcats took a 10-0 lead.  Canyons pitchers proceeded to walk two more hitters in the inning and hit one more batter before singles from Michael Davinni and Lance Gardiner had the Bobcats with a two touchdown lead at 15-1. 

Saddleback would end up scoring in each of the first five innings, taking a 20-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.  The Bobcats then took their foot off the gas pedal and cruised across the finish line with a commanding win.

Saddleback started Ryan Farmer on the hill and he pitched through the fifth inning in picking up his first win of the season.  Farmer struck out five while surrendering one earned-run in throwing 62 pitches in his opening start of the season.  He gave way to Cory Ritchie, Jacob Juarez, Nathan Helman and Wilson Hall, who all pitched one inning of scoreless baseball.  The bullpen retired 11 straight batters before giving up a walk in the top of the ninth inning, surrendering no hits while striking out three Cougars in the process.

Saddleback improved to 2-0 with the win.  Due to a change in the schedule, the Bobcats will now host three games next week.  Saddleback will play San Diego Mesa College on Thursday (2:00 PM), Moorpark College on Friday (2:00 PM) and Chaffey College on Saturday (1:00 PM).  The game against Moorpark on Friday was originally scheduled to be a road game, but has since been moved to Saddleback as a result of field conditions at Moorpark.