Pirates split OEC series with Gauchos

COSTA MESA -- After a season-opening 5-4 loss at Saddleback College on Tuesday, the Orange Coast College men's tennis team found the "win" column with a 6-3 Orange Empire Conference win against the Gauchos on Thursday at the new OCC Tennis Complex.

After going 2-4 in singles in the first meeting between the two teams, Coast (1-1) earned a split in the singles before sweeping past the Gauchos (1-1) in doubles play. Malik Thiaw got things going at No. 3 singles with a 6-4, 5-0 (Ret.) win before Jake Hastings cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles and Nicholas Brockie outlasted Saddleback's Justin Broberg, 7-6, 6-3 at No. 6.

It was a much more comfortable experience for OCC in doubles as the teams of Jake Hastings/Nick Tran (8-2), Thiaw/Brockie (8-3), Farress Sorial/Nao Sone (8-5) each earned victories against the Gauchos. 

OCC's next matchups will take place this week against Riverside City College ... at OCC on Tuesday (2 p.m.) and again on Thursday at RCC (2 p.m.).