5/13/12: Gauchos go down quietly at regional finals
 In a season that was similar to a roller coaster ride with many high points and a number of thrill rides along the way, it was only fitting that the Saddleback softball season would come to end less than a mile from Magic Mountain. The Gauchos lost to College of the Canyons on Saturday, 9-3, to finish the season 29-13.
Saddleback fell behind 7-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning before finding life and scoring two runs to cut the lead to 7-2. Canyons, however, bounced back with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth inning and somewhat took the steam out a Gaucho team that was looking to stay alive in the Southern California playoffs. In the end, the Cougars were too much for Saddleback on Saturday and ended the Gaucho season with a 9-3 win.
Saddleback managed eight hits on the day, but was unable to keep the Cougars off the base paths as Canyons wrapped out 12 hits, including a big three run home run from Adrianna Correa, who now has 21 homers on the season.
The Gauchos finished the season 29-13, while Canyons advanced to another elimination game later in the day where they defeated Southwestern College, 10-9. Canyons will now have to beat Riverside College twice on Sunday if they are going to head to the state tournament next weekend. The Cougars will play Riverside City College, who defeated Southwestern 5-2 in the winner’s bracket game earlier in the day.
5/11/12: Softball falls to Riverside in regional opener
The Saddleback softball team lost its opening game in the Super Regional held at College of the Canyons on Friday, falling to Riverside 12-4 in five innings. The Gauchos gave up nine runs in the third inning, committing five errors on the day.
Saddleback and Riverside traded blows for the first 2.5 innings and it looked as if it was going to be a slugfest with the Gauchos entering the bottom of the third inning up 4-3. After that, the defense committed four errors in the bottom half of the inning and it suddenly turned from a close game into a lopsided affair, as Saddleback fell into the loser’s bracket with a 12-4 loss in five innings.
Saddleback will have to pick up the pieces tomorrow against the No. 1 seed College of the Canyons, who was upset by Southwestern College in the opening game of the regional, 10-7. The Gauchos and Cougars will get things started at 12:00 PM.
5/9/12: Softball heads to tough Canyons Regional (regional preview)
The Saddleback softball team will head to College of the Canyons for a double-elimination super regional tournament, playing for a spot in the California State Tournament. The Gauchos will face a tough field, as three of the teams at the regional have an RPI rating in the top seven in the state.
Saddleback opens against a familiar foe in Riverside City College at 4:00 PM (broadcast on KSBR). The Tigers are the second seeded team in the regional and the No. 4 seed in the south headed into the weekend. Riverside had five players named to the All-Orange Empire Conference Team, including pitcher-of-the-year Nichole Zink. In addition to Zink, infielder Courtney Brown was a first team selection while infielders Chelsea Crawley and Natalie Barrios along with utility player Chelsea Rosario were all second team selections.
 Riverside comes into the super regional at 30-12 overall and finished in second place in the Orange Empire Conference (17-4). The Tigers rely heavily on the arm of Zink, who is 21-8 with a 1.52 ERA. She enters the regional third in the state in strikeouts (247) and has seven shutouts on the season.
Riverside finished fifth in the Orange Empire Conference with a .280 batting average, led by Brown (.347). The Tigers hit 14 home runs on the season and scored an average of 4.8 runs-per-game.
 Saddleback enters the regional having lost 2-of-3 to Riverside, but outscored the Tigers 18-15 in those three games. The Gauchos lost in their opening game of Orange Empire Conference play to the Tigers 4-2 on February 21. Saddleback bounced back with a 12-6 win against the Tigers on March 9 before falling to RCC 5-4 on April 4.
Saddleback is led by two-time all state selection Christina Bolin, who is hitting .495 on the season with nine home runs and a team-leading 50 RBI. Freshman Anna Blue leads the Gauchos with 10 home runs on the season and is second on the team behind Bolin with a .422 average. The power doesn’t stop there for Saddleback, however, as Chelsea Bertoglio has eight home runs on the season and Kelsey Hodge six. The Gauchos are led on the mound by Danielle Santos, who is currently 24-7 on the season with a 2.08 ERA.
Saddleback is currently second among Orange Empire Conference teams in hitting (.336) and runs scored (276) and leads the OEC with 46 home runs. The Gauchos enter the super regional at 29-11 overall and have averaged 6.9 runs-per-game during the course of the season.
 Joining Riverside and Saddleback in the regional is College of the Canyons and Southwestern College, who will play the opening game of the regional at 2:00 PM.
Canyons is the No. 1 seed in Southern California, but was pushed to a third game in the opening regional against Santa Barbara City College. The Cougars swept the post-season honors for the Western State Blue Division, as Ruby Herrera was named the player-of-the-year while Kimmie Lockhart was named the pitcher-of-the-year. In addition, two other Canyons players were named to the first team all-conference and three more to the second team.
 Canyons enters the regional at 39-3-1 on the season and has gone 19-1-1 in the last 21 games. The Cougars rely heavily on a tremendous offensive attack, batting .370 on the season with 48 home runs. In addition to Herrera, who leads the team with a .483 average, Adriana Correa may be the most disruptive of all the players in the lineup. Correa is currently second in the state with 19 home runs on the season and has a state-leading 62 RBI on the year.
Canyons will face a Southwestern program that picked a great time to get hot by defeating the No. 3 seed in the south, Cerritos College, last weekend. The Jaguars swept the Falcons in two straight games last weekend and enter the game at 27-12 overall, winning 13 of their last 14 games.
Southwestern is led by Pacific Coast Conference player-of-the-year Gabrielle Beasley, and had one other player named to the first team all conference list and three more to the second team. Beasley leads the team with a .486 batting average and has 18 stolen bases on the year. Utility player Monica Armas is also a dangerous threat, leading the Jaguars with 10 home runs on the season. Southwestern has two pitchers that played significantly throughout the season as both Beasley and Armas also doubled as pitchers. Beasley is currently 13-4 with a 2.19 ERA while Armas is 15-7 with a 2.78 ERA. The two combined have stuck out 186 batters in 239 innings of work.
Canyons and Southwestern played each other once this season, with Canyons prevailing 7-6 at the Bakersfield Tournament in late February.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
State RPI Rating
Canyons, No. 2
Riverside, No. 6
Saddleback, No. 7
Southwestern, No. 26
Record vs. Regional Opponents
Canyons, 2-0
Riverside, 3-2
Saddleback, 1-2
Southwestern, 0-2
Team ERA
Riverside, 2.01
Saddleback, 2.51
Southwestern, 2.63
Canyons, 2.75
Team Batting Average
Canyons, .370
Southwestern, .348
Saddleback, .336
Riverside, .280
Home Runs
Canyons, 48
Saddleback, 46
Southwestern, 22
Riverside, 14
5/6/12: Saddleback outlasts Mesa to advance to Super Regional
 The Saddleback softball team was pressed to a third game in a best-of-three series on Sunday afternoon before winning game three, 9-1, to advance to the Super Regional at College of the Canyons next weekend. The Gauchos dropped game two 8-3 before getting the bats going in game three for a comfortable win in six innings.
Saddleback looked good in game two, leading 2-0 heading into the fourth inning when the wheels came off the bus. San Diego Mesa scored five times in the fourth inning and three more times in the fifth in opening up an 8-3 lead and pressing the Gauchos into a third and deciding game.
 Saddleback looked like a different team in game three, as they scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back. After the first two batters were retired, Mandy Gutierrez doubled to left field and Anna Blue singled off the pitcher’s glove, putting two runners on base. Blue then proceeded to steal second before Nicki Jacobucci doubled to left field to give the Gauchos a 2-0 lead. Rachel Watson then delivered another single to left field and Saddleback was off an running with a 3-0 lead.
Saddleback scored one more time in the third inning when Watson once again delivered with a one-out single through the left side of the infield to score Gutierrez and make it 4-0. The game would stay that way until the top of the fifth inning, when Mesa scored its only run of the game. The Olympians had three of their five hits in the inning, but were unable to push across any more runs, taking the wind out of their sails.
 Danielle Santos came back in game three with a solid performance after being knocked around in game two. She finished the series finale surrendering just five hits and one earned-run, but walked none in improving to 24-7 on the season.
Saddleback will now head to College of the Canyons for the Super Regional next weekend, starting on Friday. The Gauchos will play arch-rival Riverside City College in the opener, at a time to be determined later. Joining Canyons, Riverside and Saddleback in the regional is Southwestern College, who upset the No. 3 seed in Southern California, Cerritos College, in two straight games. Southwestern will play Canyons in the other opening game on Friday.
In looking ahead to the opening game, Riverside holds a 2-1 edge in games played this season in the head-to-head series. Saddleback, however, has an 18-15 advantage in runs-scored in those three contests. The Gauchos lost in their opening game of Orange Empire Conference play to the Tigers 4-2 on February 21. Saddleback bounced back with a 12-6 win against the Tigers on March 9 before falling to RCC 5-4 on April 4.
The last time Saddleback and Riverside played in the playoffs was in 2010, when the Gauchos eliminated the Tigers in an elimination game at a Super Regional tournament played at Cypress College, 4-3.
5/05/12: Softball wins playoff series opening game
The Saddleback softball team posted a 4-1 victory over visiting San Diego Mesa College in the opening game of this best-of-three first-round playoff series on Saturday night at the Trani Grounds, setting the scenario for Sunday's 2:00 p.m. matchup. A win by the Gauchos would send them to next weekend's Super Regional (likely hosted by conference-foe Cypress). If San Diego Mesa should win, the teams would play a third game immediately following the 2:00 p.m. contest.
Mesa posted a single run in the top half of the first inning as Carly Mitchell singled, Brittany Kamfonik walked, and then Darlene Truong doubled to center field. Mitchell scored on the play but Kamfonik was gunned out at home trying to score from first base on a nice relay from center fielder Emily Herrmann to shortstop Christina Bolin to catcher Kelsey Hodge.
Southpaw hurler Laura Nelson had a no-hitter through the first three innings for the Olympians until Saddleback unleashed for four runs on five hits to take a 4-1 advantage. Bolin hit an 0-2 pitch over the center field fence to break up the no-hitter and tie the game at 1-1. Chelsea Bertoglio drew a walk, followed by three consecutive singles from Nicki Jacobucci, Mandy Gutierrez, and Hodge. Hodges' single drove in the go-ahead run.
Kendal McElveny's ground ball to second base was fielded and flipped to second base on a fielder's choice, but the ball was dropped by the Olympians' shortstop, allowing another Gaucho run to score without recording an out. The Olympians recorded an out on Herrmann's ground ball, getting Gutierrez out at home, but third baseman Anna Blue singled to left to score Hodge but McElveny was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base.
Bolin had two hits for the Gauchos (28-10) and Dani Santos (23-6) picked up the victory on the mound. Nelson (21-6) took the loss for Mesa (27-9).
4/30/12: Gauchos get tough draw in San Diego Mesa (series preview)
The Saddleback softball team found out its playoff fate on Saturday when it was announced that the Gauchos (No. 6 seed) would host San Diego Mesa College (No. 11 seed) in the opening round of the playoffs, starting Saturday evening. The Olympians won their first Pacific Coast Conference title in 25 years, and has the conference pitcher-of-the-year.
Saddleback and Mesa have met just four times in the past eight years, with the Gauchos winning 3-of-4 over that time. The last time the two programs hooked up was in 2009, when Saddleback scored a 7-1 win over the Olympians to open the season. However, that was then and this is now as Mesa is fresh off a conference title, its first since 1987.
“This is a very difficult matchup for us,” head coach Nick Trani said. “They have one of the best pitchers around and have confidence after winning their conference.”
 Mesa had six players named to the First Team All-Pacific Coast Conference squad, including conference pitcher-of-the-year Laura Nelson. On the season, Nelson finished 21-5 with a 1.11 ERA (5th in state), striking out 93 in 157 innings of work.
Joining Nelson on the first team were three infielders and two outfielders. Catcher Darlene Truong was the leader on offense for the Olympians, finishing with a team-leading .484 batting average (16th in state). She also led the team with 45 hits, four triples and 19 bases-on-balls, finishing with a .596 on-base percentage.
 Two more infielders were named to the first team in first baseman Alexandra Mootry and shortstop Carly Mitchell. Mootry led the club with four home runs, 32 RBI and 12 doubles while batting .406 on the year. Mitchell was consistent throughout, batting .385 for the season while leading the team in runs-scored (39) and finishing second in bases-on-balls (15).
Joining them on the first team were two outfielders in center-fielder Rebecca Dawson and right-fielder Kaeli Hunyadi. Dawson had a .404 average for the year, leading the team with 26 stolen bases while committing just two errors in the field all season long. Hunyadi was arguably the second best hitter in the lineup after Truong, batting .435 for the season while committing just one miscue in the field for the entire season.
 In addition, Mesa had two others named to the second team in third baseman Brittany Kamfonik and designated player Alexis Sacay. Second baseman Andrea Lara and left-fielder LeAndra Williams were both named honorable mention.
Overall, Mesa finished the season 27-8 overall and 12-3 in the PCC. The Olympians had a team ERA of 1.58 for the season while batting .374 for the year. Mesa relied on great pitching and timely hitting, as the Olympians hit just eight home runs on the entire season. Only 17 teams in the entire state hit less home runs out of 84 programs, but only seven teams had a better team ERA.
The Saddleback Gauchos finished the regular season at 27-10 overall and 14-7 in the Orange Empire Conference (third place). Saddleback’s style of ball is in stark contrast to Mesa, in that it hit 44 home runs on the season with three players having hit as many as the entire Mesa team.
The Gauchos had both Christina Bolin and Anna Blue named to the First Team All-Orange Empire Conference squad this past week while Chelsea Bertoglio and Danielle Santos were named to the second team.
 Bolin was the conference player-of-the-year a season ago when she broke the school record with a .512 batting average. She enters the playoffs with her average at .515 for the season, leading the team in hits (50), doubles (15), RBI (49), bases-on-balls (29), on-base percentage (.632) and slugging percentage (.959). She is tied for the program career record in home runs (19) with Bertoglio, and recently broke the record for RBI in a single season while also holding the program career-record with 90 RBI in two seasons for the Gauchos.
Blue enters the playoffs as one of the elite freshmen in the state. Her 10 home runs is just one homer shy of the freshman record, and her .424 batting average is second on the team after Bolin. She is tied for the team lead in hits (50) and leads the club with 48 runs-scored, which is two shy of the program single-season record set by Sarah Bosshart in 2010.
 Bertoglio has been a pillar of consistency for two straight years. She enters the playoffs batting .396 for the season and is tied for second with eight home runs. Bertoglio is second on the team in bases-on-balls (20) and third on the team in both runs-scored (34) and RBI (33).
Santos has been the workhorse for the Gauchos on the mound this season, finishing the regular season with a 22-6 record and a 1.94 ERA. Her 14 wins on conference play tied a program record set by Tara Kroener in 1999, as she pitched all but 12 innings during conference play. Santos struck out 71 batters in 180 innings, but was often times victimized by a defense that committed 70 errors during the course of the season.
As a team, Saddleback hit .347 on the season (20th in state) while belting 44 home runs (4th in state). Their 2.46 team ERA was good enough for 18th in the state.
The opening game of the three-game series will be played at the Saddleback softball complex on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. Game two will be on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM. If a third game is necessary, it will follow game two on Sunday afternoon.
Admission prices are set at $8 for general admission and $5 for students, staff, seniors, and active military personnel. The
winner of this series will advance to one of two Super Regional rounds which will likely be hosted by top-seeded College of the Canyons (37-2-1) or second-seeded Cypress College (36-4).
An entire Southern California playoff bracket is available at the following link. SoCal Bracket
4/28/12: Gauchos to host Olympians in softball
 The Saddleback softball team, ranked No. 6 in the Southern California regional playoffs, will host No. 11 San Diego Mesa College in a best-of-three playoff series starting Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and continuing on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in the college softball complex. A third game on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. will be played, if needed. Admission prices are set at $8 for general admission and $5 for students, staff, seniors, and active military personnel.
The Gauchos (27-10) and Olympians (27-8) have not yet met this season.
The
winner of this series will advance to one of two Super Regional rounds which will likely be hosted by top-seeded College of the Canyons (37-2-1) or second-seeded Cypress College (36-4). Saddleback has not yet faced College of the Canyons this season but has fallen to Cypress three times in conference play.
You can follow the playoff results on the California Community College Athletic Association website at www.CCCAAsports.org
4/27/12: Softball pairings announced tomorrow
The Saddleback softball team will find out their playoff fate on Saturday morning when the coaches from Southern California convene for the annual seed meeting. The Gauchos are expected to host a playoff series next weekend and be between a 5-7 seed for the playoffs.
Saddleback has the No. 9 Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) in the state of California and the No. 6 RPI in Southern California. The Gauchos are expected to be seeded in the 5-7 range and play either Glendale College, College of the Desert or Southwestern College.
Saddleback ended the regular season 27-10 overall and 14-7 in Orange Empire conference play, finishing in third place in the rugged OEC conference. The Gauchos were 13-3 in non-conference battles, defeating solid programs such as Sierra (No. 5 RPI), Cerritos (No. 7 RPI), Ventura (No. 19 RPI), Citrus (No. 20 RPI) and San Diego City (No. 23 RPI) along the way.
If seeded in the 5-7 range, Saddleback is likely to host either Glendale (27-13), Desert (35-5) or Southwestern (25-12). Glendale finished in a tie for second place in the Western State Blue Division behind College of the Canyons, who is likely the top seed for the SoCal playoffs. Desert finished in a tie for the Foothill Conference title with Chaffey College, but despite a great overall record played a schedule of opponents that finished a combined 448-791-7, thus hurting their RPI. Southwestern finished in a tie for second place in the Pacific Coast Conference with Palomar College, but defeated the Comets in 2-of-3 games this season, putting Palomar’s playoff chances on the rocks. The Jaguars won 11 of their final 12 games, but finished just 14-8 out-of-conference for the year.
Of the three potential opponents, Saddleback has only played College of the Desert on one occasion. The Gauchos defeated the Roadrunners by virtue of the mercy rule, 12-4, in five innings on February 17.
The pairings will be announced on Saturday afternoon.
4/20/12: Sophomores sensational in rout over Rustlers
 It was sophomore night at Saddleback College and the sophomore class came through in a big way as the Gaucho softball team beat visiting Golden West College 8-0 in five innings on Friday night.
Rachel Watson smacked a three-run home run over the left field fence in the third inning, then Christina Bolin hit a three-run double to clear the bases in the fourth inning, followed by a Nicki Jacobucci solo shot in the fifth inning. The Gauchos loaded the bases with two outs as sophomore catcher Ashley Welsh singled, sophomore left fielder Emily Herrmann walked, freshman third baseman Anna Blue walked, and then Welsh came home with the game-ending run on a passed ball.
Saddleback will close out the regular season on Wednesday at Fullerton.
4/13/12: Gauchos stun Hawks to get back on track
The Saddleback softball team hit two home runs in the final inning to beat Santiago Canyon College, 9-8, on Thursday afternoon. The Gauchos remain in the hunt for second place in the Orange Empire Conference with a tough test on Friday against conference-leading Cypress College.
The Saddleback softball team hadn’t won a game since winning their only game in the rain-shortened Santa Barbara City College Tournament on March 31 and got the ship back on course on Wednesday with a heroic win. The Gauchos received a game-tying home run from Anna Blue to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning before Rachel Watson followed with a walk-off home run to secure the win.
Saddleback entered the game after consecutive losses to Riverside City and Santa Ana in the past week and had fallen into third place in the conference standings headed into the Thursday. The win keeps them within one game of second place Riverside, with four games remaining on the regular season schedule. The final three games of the season are against teams at the bottom of the standings, but the first is against Cypress, a team that has outscored the Gauchos 15-1 in two games this season.
“We need to make a good showing,” head coach Nick Trani said. “We are capable of beating anyone, but haven’t shown up to play in those two games.”
With rain expected on Friday afternoon, it still remains to be seen whether or not the game will be played. If it is postponed on Friday, a makeup date has already been set for Tuesday afternoon.
The home run by Blue on Thursday was her ninth of the season, giving her the team lead. It is two homers short of the freshman record (11) set by Christina Bolin, Chelsea Bertoglio and Mandy Gutierrez last season. Blue also has a team-leading 44 runs-scored for the season, just six shy of the program record (50) by Sarah Bosshart in 2010.
4/2/12: Santa Barbara Tourney shortened by rain
 The Saddleback softball team planned to play four games at the Santa Barbara City College softball tournament on Saturday and Sunday, but ended up playing only one game on Saturday morning. The Gauchos defeated East Los Angeles College, 6-2, before the elements made the fields unplayable, shortening the tournament.
Saddleback defeated East Los Angeles, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looking back. The Gauchos added one more run in the second inning and two more in the fifth in taking a 6-1 lead. Kelsey Hodge and Anna Blue both led the charge, finishing with two hits apiece.
Danielle Santos started the game but pitched just three innings before giving way to Chelsea Bertoglio. The two combined to surrender just four hits as Bertoglio won her first game of the year, giving up a pair of unearned runs in four innings of work.
Saddleback will try to reschedule some of the lost games later in the season, but no dates have been published. The Gauchos will play again on Wednesday at Riverside City College at 6:00 PM. The two teams are currently battling for second place in the Orange Empire Conference, with Saddleback holding a ½-game lead on the Tigers.
3/28/12: Bolin breaks multiple records in win over Hornets
The Saddleback softball team has hit 26 home runs in the past 14 games, led by a trio of players with last names that begin with the letter “B”. The Killer “B’s” were up to their old tricks on Tuesday at Fullerton College, humbling the Hornets 10-0 in six innings with Christina Bolin breaking the program’s career home run and runs-batted-in records.
Bolin was the Orange Empire Conference MVP as a freshman and had a slow start to the season in terms of power numbers, going homer-less for the first 15 games of the year. She now has eight home runs in the past 14 games, hitting two more on Tuesday in a dominating win over Fullerton College. Bolin’s second homer of the day made her the all time leader in home runs in program history with 19, surpassing the 18 homers hit by Starr White in 2009-10. With 40 RBI on the season, Bolin now is seven shy of tying the single-season record set by Lauren Molina in 2008. She also set the career RBI record on Tuesday with her first RBI of the day. Bolin finished with six RBI on Tuesday, and sits at 81 for her career. The old record of 75 was set by Molina in 2007-08.
Joining Bolin was Chelsea Bertoglio, who homered for the second straight game on Tuesday in running her season total to seven. Bertoglio now has 18 home runs for her career, tying the old record by White and trailing Bolin by one.
The third of the trio of Killer “B’s” is freshman Anna Blue, who picked up two more hits on Tuesday in running her batting average to .424 for the season. Blue is tied for the team lead with Bolin with eight home runs. She also leads the team with 39 runs-scored, just 11 off the single-season record of 50 set by Sarah Bosshart in 2010.
Saddleback opened up a 7-0 lead on Fullerton headed into the bottom of the second inning on Tuesday and never looked back. The Gauchos ended the game in the sixth inning when they connected for three more runs for a 10-0 lead. The Hornets came up empty in the bottom half of the inning to end the game by virtue of the mercy rule.
Saddleback will play again on the weekend when they travel to Santa Barbara for a two-day tournament. The Gauchos open up against East los Angeles College on Saturday at 12-noon.
3/24/12: Gauchos rally to nip Orange Coast
The Saddleback softball team bounced back on Friday from a mid-week loss to Cypress by beating Orange Coast College, 6-5, on Friday at the Saddleback softball complex. The Gauchos rallied from behind to sink the Pirates, scoring four runs in the last two innings of play.
Saddleback entered the bottom of the sixth inning on the wrong side of a 3-2 game before scoring three times in the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Orange Coast then scored two more times in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game before the Gauchos would rally for the walk-off win, with Mandy Gutierrez providing the game-ending single to center field with one out and the bases loaded.
Saddleback used the power game on Friday, with Christina Bolin, Chelsea Bertoglio and Kelsey Hodge all connecting for home runs in the game. The Gauchos, however, were once again plagued by errors in the field, committing three on the day which led to four un-earned runs for the Pirates on the afternoon.
Danielle Santos improved to 17-2 on the season, going the distance while giving up one earned-run on seven hits. The Gauchos improved to 22-6 overall and 10-3 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win.
Saddleback will play again on Monday when they travel to Fullerton College to take on the Hornets. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
3/21/12: Gauchos within ½-game of Cypress headed into Wednesday showdown
The Saddleback softball team took care of business on Tuesday with a dominating 12-0 win over Golden West College at the softball complex at Saddleback. The Gauchos hit four home runs in the mercy-rule win and now face Cypress with first place on the line.
Saddleback exploded for six runs in the first inning as Christina Bolin and Kelsey Hodge both hit home runs in setting the tone for the afternoon. Anna Blue later hit a two-run homer in the third inning for an 8-0 lead before belting a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth to add insult to injury. Mandy Gutierrez led the team with four hits, finishing 4-for-4 as the Gauchos hammered out 16 hits in just four at-bats.
Meanwhile, Danielle Santos had one of her best outings of the season, allowing just one hit over five innings in improving to 17-1 on the season. Santos gave way to Chelsea Bertoglio in the fifth inning with Saddleback up 12-0.
The win moves the Gauchos to 9-2 in conference play, just ½-game behind Cypress in the Orange Empire Conference standings. The two teams will play today at Cypress at 3:00 PM. A win by Saddleback would move the Gauchos in front in the OEC standings with less than 10 games remaining in conference play.
Cypress defeated Saddleback 7-1 on February 24 in their only meeting of the season. In that game, the Gauchos managed just three hits as the Chargers scored three late runs to put the game out of reach in the sixth inning.
On another note, Blue now has eight home runs on the season to lead the team. The two belts on Tuesday vaulted her into a tie for fourth in the state in home runs, behind three others with 10 home runs apiece. Saddleback now has 31 homers as a team, good enough for third in the state.
3/19/12: Softball still within one game of first place with latest win
 The Saddleback softball team defeated Santiago Canyon College, 13-2, on Friday evening at Santiago Canyon College in a game that ended after five innings as a result of the mercy rule. The Gauchos are still just one game out of first place headed into a critical week of games.
Saddleback trailed 1-0 headed into the third inning on Friday when they cranked up the offense and left the Hawks in their wake. The Gauchos scored four times in the third inning, five times in the fourth inning and four more times in the fifth in blowing open a game that had previously been close.
Saddleback came into the game with an outburst of power in recent weeks, but it was a case of small ball that went a long ways on Friday. The Gauchos scratched out 11 hits over five innings against Santiago Canyon, with Danielle Santos and Kelsey Hodge leading the way with two hits apiece. The biggest hit of the game, however, came from Emily Herrmann, who had a bases-clearing double with the based loaded, blowing the game wide open in the fifth inning.
Santos had another solid outing on the mound, pitching the first four innings in improving to 16-1 on the season. She surrendered five hits and two walks before giving way to Chelsea Bertoglio in the fifth inning.
With the win, Saddleback is still just game behind Cypress College in the Orange Empire Conference standings, but now sits all alone in second place after Riverside College lost to Santa Ana on Friday. The Gauchos are 20-5 overall and 8-2 in OEC play, their best start in conference play since opening up OEC play 9-2 back in 2010.
Saddleback will play again today when they host Golden West College at the Gauchos softball complex. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM. Saddleback defeated the Rustlers a week ago in their only meeting of the season, 4-2, at GWC.
In addition to the home game tonight against GWC, the Gauchos wil travel to Cypress to take on the first place Chargers on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 PM.
3/15/12: Softball clips Santa Ana as Orange Empire race tightens
The Saddleback softball team kept its eye on the prize on Wednesday with an exciting 6-5 win over Santa Ana College in Santa Ana. The Gauchos scored a run in the final inning to clip the Dons, and now trail first place Cypress by just one game.
Saddleback bolted out to a 5-1 lead on Wednesday, striking for two runs in the first inning and three more in the second for a four-run advantage. Anna Blue led off the game with a double to left field and quickly scored as Christina Bolin singled her home for a 1-0 lead just minutes into the game. The Gauchos then took advantage of two Santa Ana errors in scoring four more runs, all unearned, before the end of the second inning.
Santa Ana chipped away at the lead with one run in the fourth inning before erupting for three runs in the fifth to tie the game. Saddleback returned the favor in the home half of the fifth with a fielding error, leading to one unearned run as the Dons tied the game at 5-5.
Saddleback then waited until the 11th hour before striking for the winning run. With two outs and no runners on base in the seventh inning, Blue once again started the rally with a single to right-center field. Bolin was then intentionally walked before Chelsea Bertoglio delivered what would end up being the game-winning hit to right field, scoring Blue. Pitcher Danielle Santos then did her part in the bottom half of the inning, retiring the Dons in order in pulling off the dramatic victory.
With the win, Saddleback now sits just one game out of first place in the Orange Empire Conference after Riverside City College scored a walk-off 2-1 win over Cypress College. RCC and Saddleback are both one game back of the Chargers nearing the midway point of the conference season.
Saddleback will play again on Friday at Santiago Canyon College. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.
3/13/12: Softball charges into second place with latest win
The Saddleback softball team is back in a tie for second place after a 4-2 win over Golden West College on Monday night in Huntington Beach. The Gauchos scored single runs in each of the first three innings in climbing back into the Orange Empire Conference race.
After starting conference play at 2-2, Saddleback has settled down and started to find its groove. The Gauchos silenced Golden West on Monday behind the arm of Danielle Santos, who held the Rustlers to just two hits in improving to 14-1 on the season. Golden West managed solo runs in the third and fifth innings, but couldn’t capitalize on three Saddleback errors in the field in falling to 6-13 overall and 3-5 in OEC play.
 Saddleback finished with nine hits on the evening, with the big blow being a solo home run by Kendal McElveny. For McElveny, it was her third home run of the season, and her second in as many games.
After a slow start to the season in hitting the long ball, the Gauchos have heated up in recent weeks and now have 27 homers on the season. Saddleback hit just 11 home runs in the first 15 games of the season, but has hit 16 in the past eight games.
With the win, the Gauchos (18-5, 6-2) are now back in a tie for second place in the Orange Empire Conference with Riverside City College, two games behind Cypress College. Saddleback will play again on Wednesday when they travel to Santa Ana College. The Gauchos and Dons are set to face off at 3:00 PM. Santa Ana currently sits in fourth place in conference play, two games back of both Saddleback and Riverside.
3/9/12: Gauchos get win over Riverside
 Saddleback scored 12 runs and collected 13 hits enroute to a 12-6 win over Riverside City College in an Orange Empire Conference contest Friday at the Evans Sports Complex in Riverside. It was the most runs and the most hits allowed by the Tigers this season and was combined with five Tiger errors.
The win moves Saddleback into second place and drops Riverside into third place in the conference standings with the Gauchos holding a one-half game lead. But it also provides some revenge for Saddleback's 4-2 loss to this same Riverside team in the first round of conference play.
Saddleback (5-2, 17-5) opened a 5-1 lead behind
a four-run third inning, which was highlighted by a two-run home run from
Christina Bolin, the conference’s leading hitter, and a solo shot by Chelsea
Bertoglio. A solo home run in the fifth inning by Kendal McElveny (pictured) padded the Gauchos’
lead.
Riverside battled back, scoring five runs in the bottom
of the fifth inning as the Tigers sent 10 batters to the plate. In the inning,
Riverside managed three hits in the inning and was aided by two Gaucho errors
and three walks by Saddleback pitcher Dani Santos, who improved to 13-1 with the
victory.
In Saddleback's half of the sixth, the Gauchos loaded the bases
against Riverside relief pitcher Kendall Apodaca. McElveny
then doubled to right field, scoring two runs. Mandy Gutierrez followed with an
RBI single and pinch hitter Kelsey Hodge scored McElveny with a sacrifice fly to right field,
giving the Gauchos a 9-6 lead. The Gauchos went on to add three runs in the top
of the seventh behind a hit batter, two hits and two Riverside errors.
3/4/12: Gauchos dominate on day one of Fresno Tourney
The Saddleback softball team made a statement on day one of the solid Fresno City College Tournament. The Gauchos downed Modesto Junior College, 11-1, in the opener before blanking Sacramento City, 6-0, in game two.
Freshman pitcher Daniele Santos was on her game on Saturday, surrendering just three hits in 13 innings of work as the offense gave her more than enough support to pick up two wins on the opening day of the tournament. Saddleback hit four home runs in the opening game against MJC, as Anna Blue connected for two home runs while Nicki Jacobucci and Reina Chandler also connected for an offense that pounded out 13 hits in the opening game of the tournament. The Gauchos then scored four runs in the fourth inning of game two against SCC in cruising to a 6-0 win in game two.
Santos improved to 10-1 on the season with the two wins, and will have her hands full on Sunday as Saddleback plays Sierra College and San Jose City College, two traditional powers from the northern half of the state. The Gauchos play Sierra at 9:00 AM and face San Jose City at 11:00 AM.
3/1/12: Softball powers past OCC to mercy win
The Saddleback softball team had been suffering in recent weeks after losing 2-of-3 games to open the Orange Empire Conference schedule, and then missing a game to a rain out earlier in the week. The Gauchos took out their frustrations on Orange Coast College on Wednesday, thumping the Pirates 11-0 in a five-inning win.
Saddleback had about 10 days of frustration building up, and Orange Coast had it dumped on them in five innings of softball. The Gauchos exploded for four home runs, scoring eight times in the second inning alone in cruising to an easy win.
Christina Bolin opened up the barrage with a three-run homer to right field, giving Saddleback a 7-0 lead after a number of miscues in the field by the Pirates. Nicki Jacobucci followed Bolin to the plate and proceeded to plant one in the same spot, giving the Gauchos an 8-0 lead before the Pirates even batted for a second time.
The fourth inning saw Saddleback hit two more home runs, as both Mandy Gutierrez and Kendal McElveny had solo home runs in opening up a 10-0 lead after 3 ½ innings of play. The Gauchos would eventually close out the Pirates 11-0 after five innings of play by way of the mercy rule.
Danielle Santos worked four innings on the mound in improving to 8-1 on the season. Santos gave up five hits while striking out two before giving way to Chelsea Bertoglio in the fifth inning.
Saddleback improved to 12-4 overall and 3-2 in Orange Empire Conference play with the win. The Gauchos will play next in the Fresno City College Tournament this weekend, starting on Friday.
2/22/12: Quick start propels softball past SCC
The Saddleback softball team has been putting up a lot of runs in the early innings of games, and once again did it on Wednesday in a 3-0 win over Santiago Canyon College. The Gauchos scored two in the first inning and received solid pitching and defense in improving to 11-3 on the season.
 Saddleback was looking to put a 4-2 loss to Riverside on Tuesday behind them and jumped on the Hawks for two early runs. After walks to Chelsea Bertoglio and Christina Bolin, Nicki Jacobucci put a charge into a ball down the left field line, scoring both base-runners and giving the Gauchos a quick 2-0 lead (for highlights, click on the link to the right).
From that point on, the pitching was stellar as Danielle Santos and Bertoglio combined for a three-hitter, allowing just six runners to reach base all day long. The Saddleback pitchers were helped with some solid play from the defense, turning three double-plays in the game including a brilliant play by Anna Blue to end a Santiago Canyon threat in the second inning. Santos completed six innings, giving up just three hits in improving to 7-1 on the season. Bertoglio earned her first save of the season by sending down the Hawks in order in the seventh inning.
Saddleback finished the game with eight hits, led by both Bertoglio and Ashley Welsh with two hits apiece in improving to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in Orange Empire Conference play. Santiago Canyon fell to 7-11 on the season and 1-2 in OEC play with the loss.
Saddleback will play again on Friday when they host Cypress College. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
2/21/12: Gauchos end up a little thin on Fat Tuesday
Saddleback saw its six game winning streak come to a screeching halt on Tuesday as the Gauchos fell to Riverside, 4-2, in an Orange Empire Conference make-up game which was rained out last Wednesday.
The Gauchos (10-3, 1-1) were looking to get fat on Fat Tuesday against a Riverside team (4-3, 1-1) which hadn’t had the early-season success Saddleback enjoyed so far in 2012. After six straight victories, including four over the long weekend in the San Diego City College tournament, the Gauchos had trouble making heads or tails over Tiger pitcher Nichole Zink (2-2). Zink allowed six hits, but struck out five Gauchos in the contest – including the final two batters – to secure the win.
Saddleback’s Christina Bolin was 2-for-3, including a third-inning double to drive in Saddleback’s only RBI. Anna Blue also came home on the play when the Tiger second baseman lost control of the cut-off throw to the infield to give Saddleback a 2-1 lead.
Chelsea Crawley and Ingrid Williams scored two runs each for Riverside, with Crawley picking up a single and double in the contest.
Saddleback will be back on the diamond on Wednesday, hosting Santiago Canyon College at 3:00 p.m.
2/21/12: Gauchos capture San Diego City Tournament title
The Saddleback softball team had a big weekend at San Diego City College, winning four straight games in two days in capturing the tournament championship. The Gauchos cruised to the tournament title, outscoring the competition 26-9.
Saddleback opened the tournament with a dominating 12-4 over College of the Desert on Friday morning before winning a hard-fought 4-2 battle with Ventura College in the afternoon. On Saturday, the Gauchos then defeated Citrus College 6-3 in the semifinals before blanking Grossmont College 4-0 in the finals.
 Saddleback’s pitching was solid the entire tournament, surrendering just five earned runs in four games. Danielle Santos took home wins in the final three games of the tournament, giving up just two earned-runs in 17 innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Gaucho bats were busy as Saddleback hit three home runs, two of which came from Chelsea Bertoglio in the opening win against Desert. Anna Blue later hit a home run in game two to provide the two-run difference with Ventura. Nicki Jacobucci provided the big blow in the finals against Grossmont with a two-run double, opening up a close game in the sixth inning and giving the Gauchos some breathing room in the finals. Bertoglio finished the tournament 6-for-10 from the plate with two home runs and six RBI.
With the wins, Saddleback now has the No. 1 RPI in the state headed into the week. The Gauchos will face Riverside City College today in a make-up game from last week. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
2/15/12: Softball game postponed due to rain
Saddleback's home softball game today (Feb. 15) against Riverside City College has been cancelled due to the rain and wet field conditions. It has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 21,
at 3:00 p.m. on the Saddleback campus diamond.
2/12/12: Gaucho bats impressive in win over Chaffey
 The Saddleback softball team jumped out to a quick lead on Chaffey College in beating the Panthers, 8-6, on Friday afternoon at Chaffey. The Gauchos took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, powered by a two-run home run from Mandy Gutierrez.
Saddleback put on an offensive clinic on Friday, as the Gauchos pounded out 12 hits against Panther pitching. Orange Empire Conference reigning MVP Christina Bolin led the charge, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Gutierrez was 2-for-3 with a walk, including the two-run blast that put the Gauchos up 3-0.
Destiny Davalos (3-2) picked up her third win of the season in working four innings on the mound before giving way to Danielle Santos with Saddleback up 8-3. Santos finished the final three innings, picking up her second save of the season.
Saddleback will be back at home on Wednesday when they host Riverside City College in OEC play. The Gauchos enter the game at 6-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play. RCC is 3-2 on the season. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
Saddleback enters the game with the No. 5 RPI in the state. Riverside has the No. 4 RPI heading into the game.
2/9/12: Softball opens OEC play with a mercy win
 The Saddleback softball team opened Orange Empire Conference play against Santa Ana College on Wednesday…a program that came into the game at 5-1 on the season and looking to upset a Gaucho team rated No. 9 in the state. Saddleback made quick work of the Dons, scoring four times in the first inning in beating Santa Ana, 11-3, in six innings.
Santa Ana gave up a total of five runs in its first five games of the season but things have turned sour for the Dons now that the competition has improved. The Gauchos torched Santa Ana pitching for 11 hits and 11 runs over six innings of play on Wednesday, throwing a knockout blow at the Dons in the sixth inning.
Saddleback opened the game with four runs in the first inning, sparked by doubles from Christina Bolin and Kelsey Hodge. After Santa Ana closed the gap to 5-2 in the top of the fourth inning, the Gauchos then struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as Hodge, Emily Herrmann and Anna Blue all singled to extend the lead to 7-2.
Santa Ana closed the gap to 7-3 in the top of the sixth inning, but once again the Gauchos responded quickly, scoring four runs on three hits to end the game on the mercy rule. Saddleback opened the inning with two gift errors by the Dons, setting the table for Hodge to collect her third hit of the day in extending the lead to 8-3. The game ended when Herrmann tripled down the right field line with the outfield playing shallow, scoring both Ashley Welsh and Chelsea Bertoglio.
 Hodge (pictured above) finished 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in two runs while scoring three of her own. Herrmann and Nicki Jacobucci both collected two hits apiece as Saddleback forced Santa Ana into six walks and one wild pitch for the game.
Danielle Santos (pictured right) was solid on the mound for the Gauchos, surrendering four hits over six innings of work. She improved to 3-0 on the season with the win.
For Saddleback, it was the ninth win in the last 10 games against Santa Ana, dating back to the beginning of the 2009 season. The Gauchos improved to 5-2 on the season with the win, and with it saw their RPI rating climb to No. 5 in the state.
Saddleback will play again on Friday when they travel to Chaffey College to take on the Panthers (2-2). First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
2/1/12: Softball has little mercy on Grossmont
The Saddleback softball team sprinted out to a big lead on Wednesday in defeating Grossmont College by virtue of the mercy rule, 14-6. Christina Bolin once again led the charge on offense as the game was called after five innings.
Saddleback improved to 3-1 on the season and the game was never in doubt. The Gauchos darted out to a 10-0 lead after two innings in turning back the Griffins at Grossmont College. Bolin finished 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, connecting for two doubles on the day with four RBI.
Anna Blue was also hot with the bat, finishing with two doubles of her own as Saddleback connected for 12 hits in five innings.
The Gauchos will play again on Friday when they host Sa Diego City College. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM.
1/28/12: Gauchos settle for split on opening day
The Saddleback softball team had a tough task on day one of the season as they opened on the road with a double-header against perennial powers Cerritos College and Antelope Valley College. The Gauchos were impressive in the opener, beating Cerritos, 8-1, before committing a number of errors in falling to Antelope Valley, 9-8.
Saddleback jumped on Cerritos early, scoring twice in the first inning as Mandy Gutierrez drove in both Christina Bolin and Chelsea Bertoglio to grab a 2-0 lead. The Gauchos would build a 5-0 lead before Cerritos scored their lone run on a sacrifice fly. Later in the game, Anna Blue belted a two-run home run to push the lead to 8-1 in the seventh inning. Bolin would lead the offensive charge for Saddleback, finishing 4-for-4 in the opening game of the season after winning the 2011 Orange Empire Conference MVP award.
Game two was a completely different story for Saddleback in the field, as the Gauchos committed a number of errors in giving away a game they likely should have won to a solid AVC squad. Saddleback built an 8-4 lead after Kelsey Hodge belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and it looked as if the Gauchos were going to pull off a solid double-double against two of the more powerful teams in Southern California. The Marauders, however, capitalized on a number of Saddleback errors in chipping away at the lead. AVC would eventually win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a pair of runs, turning back the Gauchos.
“We played about as well as a team can play in the first game, and made a number of mistakes in the second game,” head coach Nick Trani said. “We have to get back to work and cut down on our mistakes if we are going compete with the best teams in the state on a daily basis. We know we can hit the ball. Now we have to work at getting people out.”
Bolin once again led the charge for Saddleback on offense, finishing 3-for-4 in the second game for a 7-for-8 start to open the season.
Saddleback will play again on Monday in the home-opener against Los Angeles Valley College. First pitch is set for 5:00 PM.
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