May 1, 2007 - BOXSCORE
Santa Ana Clinches the OEC Championship

SANTA ANA, CA - Santa Ana College (SAC) clinched the Orange Empire Conference championship in a 10-5 victory over Saddleback College in the first of three Orange Empire Conference "mini tournament" games. The win was the fourth time the Dons defeated Saddleback this season.

After Saddleback took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning the Dons cut the lead to 2-1 when Travis Leverson (Chaparral HS) scored on a wild pitch.

The Dons took the lead in the bottom of the second after they scored five runs. Casey Rihn (La Habra HS) led the inning off with a double to center field followed by a RBI single by Tyler Hogan (Servite HS). Caleb Boyer (Temecula Valley HS) then hit a single to right field and both he and Hogan scored when Manny Caceres (Santa Ana Valley HS) hit a triple to center field. Caceres later scored when Leverson hit a triple to right-center field. Leverson scored the fifth and final run of the inning on a double by Nick Tanos (Cypress HS).

The Dons added two more in the fourth inning after Saddleback cut the lead to 6-5. Tanos scored on a triple by Mario Ramirez (Brea Olinda HS) and Caceres hit a solo home run to put the Dons up 8-5.

The final two runs came in the fifth inning when Hogan hit a two-run home run to put the Dons up 10-5.

Matt Dufour (El Dorado HS) picked up the win after pitching five innings while allowing 11 hits and all five Gaucho runs. Brandon Mozley pitched four scoreless innings in relief allowing only three hits while striking out six.