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Rice Delivers Game-Winner In Eighth
SANTA ANA, CA - C.J. Rice's two-out, RBI-single to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning drove in Jimmy Waninger from third with the game-winner as Santa Ana College won its Orange Empire Conference (OEC) opener,
2-1, over visiting Golden West College, Thursday. Santa Ana's Daniel Arizemendi (2-0) outdueled Golden West's Grant Theophilus (3-2) giving up just one earned run on three hits over eight innings. The sophomore lefthander struck out four and walked four to pick up the win.
Theophilus was nearly as efficient giving up two earns and scattering seven hits while striking out three and walking three in 7.1 innings of work.
Golden West took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth on a double by left fielder Allen Woods, an Arizmendi wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Hogan.
Santa Ana tied the game in the sixth as the Dons got back-to-back hits from Corey Skaggs and Waninger. Skaggs laced a double down the left field line to start the inning and scored on Waninger's RBI-single to left. Skaggs and Waninger led the Dons with two hits apiece.
In the eighth, Waninger, who was 2 for 3 at the plate, started the Dons' rally by drawing a base on balls from Theophilus with one out. The Dons put runners on the corners and forced Theophilus from the game one batter later on Jacob Vasquez's single to right field that moved Waninger to third. Justin Sincock nearly got the Rustlers out of the eighth-inning jam as he struck out Rick Taloa for the second out, but gave up Rice's game-winner to right on the Dons' next at bat.
In the ninth, Golden West loaded the bases with one out against Santa Ana reliever Anthony Slama. Slama struck out Blaine Wilson to open the final inning, but game up three consecutive singles to Josh Bartusick, Allen Wookds and Aric Weinberg before the sophomore right hander got Nick Sansone to bounce into a 5-4-3 game-ending double play. It was Slama's third save of the season.
The Dons improve to 11-1 overall and 1-0 in the OEC while the Rustlers fall to 7-4 overall and 0-1 in the league.
On Deck: vs Irvine Valley College, Saturday, March 5, at noon.
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