Bobcats pounce on Wildcats for sixth straight win

The Saddleback baseball team improved to 6-0 on Monday with a 17-3 win against West Los Angeles College at Doug Fritz Field.  It's the longest win streak to start the season since 2017.

Saddleback made quick work of West LA on Monday, scoring early and often against the Wildcats.  The Bobcats took advantage of a number of pitching and defensive miscues from West Los Angeles in cruising to the win.

Saddleback scored twice in the opening inning as Jordan Dissin and Cole Koniarsky had back-to-back hits to score Johnathan Behm and Dissin himself.  The bottom of the second saw Saddleback score four more times, thanks in large part to three hit batsmen and a walk from Wildcat pitchers, and an error from the West LA defense. 

Saddleback broke the game wide open in the bottom half of the sixth inning when they scored three times for an 11-2 advantage.  Jason Hefft (pictured) singled home Lance Gardiner and Dissin for a 10-2 lead and eventually came around to score the third run of the inning after Wildcat pitchers and catchers lost their focus.  West Los Angeles had two walks, one wild pitch, a hit batsman a passed ball before walking Behm with the bases loaded to make the score 11-2. 

Saddleback tacked on six more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as the West Los Angeles pitching staff continued to struggle.  Bobcat batters collected four more walks and three hits in the inning in extending the lead to 17-3.  Hefft was again in the middle of the rally, walking with the bases loaded to reach base for the third time in the game.  

Saddleback used four pitchers in the game with a rotation of Cory Ritchie, Jacob Juarez, Ryan Cullinane and Nathan Helman.  Bobcat pitchers struck out 14 Wildcats for the night as Juarez picked up his first win of the season.

Saddleback is now 6-0 to start the season for the first time since 2017 when the squad started 10-0.  The Bobcats will try to make it seven straight when they travel to Palomar College on Wednesday to take on the Comets.  The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM in San Marcos.