Community College Baseball : Sgobba Goes Against the Percentages and Loses

Most coaches make their pitching changes according to the axiom left-handed pitchers are more effective against left-hand batters and right-handed pitchers are more effective against right-hand batters.

But in the eighth inning of Thursday afternoon’s South Coast Conference game between Fullerton and Orange Coast colleges, Hornet Coach Mike Sgobba decided to go against the percentages. He let reliever Rob DeYoung, a right-hander, pitch to Gene Roumimper, a left-handed batter, with two runners on, two out and Fullerton ahead, 6-5.

It didn’t take long for Sgobba to wish he would have brought in left-hander Bob Hernandez, who was warming up in the bullpen.

On DeYoung’s first pitch to Roumimper, the former Tustin High School star hit a tape-measure home run that landed well beyond the right-field fence onto Fairview Road, giving the Pirates an 8-6 win.

Long home runs are nothing new for Orange Coast (9-9 in conference and 14-15 overall), which over the years has earned a reputation for its power-hitting exploits. But even Pirate Coach Mike Mayne was in awe of Roumimper’s ninth home run of the season, which traveled about 430 feet from home plate.

“That is the longest home run here since 1982,� he said. “Did he get all of that or not?�

With one out in the eighth, Darrin Garner and Larry Cratsenberg singled for Orange Coast. Sgobba then took out losing pitcher Tony Tubbs in favor of DeYoung, who retired right-hand hitting Dave Rolland on an infield pop fly for the second out of the inning.

Sgobba, who announced Tuesday this would be his final season as Fullerton’s coach, said he decided to leave DeYoung in because he threw only one pitch to Rolland.

“We had Hernandez warming up with the purpose of bring him in,� he said. “But I thought we’d let DeYoung throw one pitch to Roumimper, since it only took him one pitch to get Rolland. If it was a ball, I would have gone to the bullpen.

“Unfortunately, the pitch was right where it shouldn’t have been, a low strike. He (Roumimper) is a dead low-ball hitter.�

Roumimper, who had five RBIs Thursday, was more surprised than anyone when DeYoung remained around to pitch to him.

“I really thought Hernandez would be coming in,� he said. “I was preparing myself to face him.’

Fullerton (8-10, 22-16) took an early 3-0 lead when Corby Oakes hit a three-run home run off Mark Stomp in the second inning. Orange Coast got two runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-2, but Fullerton got a single run in the third on Rod Clark’s bases-empty home run and then chased Stomp with two more in the fourth for a 6-2 lead.

Hornet starting pitcher Gabe Rodriguez was in command until the sixth, when he tired and gave up three runs. Roumimper drove in two of the runs with a single that prompted Sgobba to relieve Rodriguez with Tubbs.

Orange Coast’s other star was Orlando Guerra, who pitched 5 innings of scoreless relief to get the win. Guerra struck out six and allowed only two hits.

In other South Coast Conference action:

Mt. San Antonio 5, Golden West 4 (ten innings)--Todd Hayes’ RBI single off reliever Gary Buckels in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Mounties the win over the Rustlers at Walnut. Andy Mota went 3 for 5, while Keith Kaub had two hits and two RBIs for second-place Golden West, which drops to 12-6 in conference and 21-7 overall.

Santa Ana 37, Compton 1--The Dons had 27 hits, including six by Vince Shinholster, in their rout of the Tartars at Compton. Pat Flynn added a grand slam, while Steve Scarsone and Paul Petredes each added two-run homers for Santa Ana, which scored 10 runs in the first inning and 9 in the sixth. Tony White hit a home run for Compton in the sixth inning.