COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Short Caps a Big Week for Fullerton

SANTA ANA —  Jim Short finished a torrid week of hitting with a home run, two doubles and five runs batted in Saturday to lead Fullerton College to an 11-3 Orange Empire Conference baseball victory over Rancho Santiago at Rancho Santiago.

Short, a sophomore who transferred from Cypress, was seven for 11 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in three games for the Hornets (14-3, 5-1 in conference play) last week.

He had a home run and three RBIs in a 12-5 victory over Cypress Tuesday, and two home runs and six RBIs as the Hornets defeated Orange Coast College, 13-11, Thursday.

“I’ve just been really patient,” Short said. “Plus the guys in front of me, Benny (Rodriguez), Willy (Speakman) and Gary (Mota), have done a great job of getting on base, and that makes it easier.”

Short’s first hit Saturday sparked a bit of controversy.

With one out and Rancho Santiago leading, 3-1, Speakman was on second and Mota on first. Short drove a pitch toward the center-field fence that vanished as it reached the top of the fence.

At first, Short was credited with a three-run home run, but then the umpire changed his call to a ground-rule double after a closer inspection of the fence.

Rancho Sanitago center fielder Steve Grack had thrown his hands up as the ball hit the chain-link fence and stuck just behind the green tarp that provides a background for the hitters.

Fullerton Coach Nick Fuscardo protested for a few minutes, but by the end of the game he had cooled.

Home run or ground-rule double, it became a moot point when Jim Vleck had an RBI single to score Mota and tie the score, 3-3. Jeff Manship then doubled in two runs and Fullerton led, 5-3.

Short hit a two-run home run in the seventh and added a two-run double in the eighth for Fullerton.

Almost overshadowed because of Short’s accomplishments, was the outstanding pitching of sophomore Steve Trachsel (5-1). The right-hander pitched a five-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks. He retired 20 of the last 23 batters he faced and didn’t allow a Rancho Santiago runner past first in the final six innings.

Jerry Aschoff (3-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings but took the loss for Rancho Santiago (13-4, 4-2).

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Saddleback 7, Orange Coast 4--Buster Nietzke hit what appeared to be a grand slam in the seventh inning but was credited with a three-run single when he passed pinch-runner Andy Hallock.

Nietzke lined the ball toward the fence and was running for second when the ball went over the fence. He didn’t see Hallock, who had returned to first to tag up.

Saddleback is 7-7, 2-4. Tony Spaan had a two-run home run and a triple for OCC (8-11, 1-5).

Riverside 11, Cypress 6--Randy Graves had three hits, scored four and had three RBIs to lead host Riverside (14-6, 3-3). Graves had two triples and a solo home run in the eighth inning. Cypress (11-8, 1-5) led 1-0 in the third when Riverside scored five runs. Jason Bates had two hits and one RBI for Cypress.

In nonconference:

Golden West 18, Long Beach 12--Mark Magrann had four hits and four RBIs and Shelby Hart had four hits and three RBIs to lead visiting Golden West (14-2).