Offense comes alive in 14-6 win over Rustlers

COSTA MESA -- The offense of the Orange Coast College baseball team may have ended nonconference with a whimper, but it opened Orange Empire Conference play with a bang as the Pirates routed visiting Golden West 14-6 on Thursday at Wendell Pickens Field.

After just two runs on Tuesday in a 5-2 loss to Long Beach, the Pirates (13-3, 1-0 in OEC) came alive at the plate, slugging out 14 runs on 17 hits. Six different players -- Austin Saenz (3-for-5, two runs, five RBI), Zach Nehrir (3-for-4, three runs, one RBI), Manny Argomaniz (2-for-4, two runs, one RBI), Greg Espinosa (2-for-3, two runs), Anthony Virgen (2-for-3, one RBI) and Cody Bruder (2-for-3, one run, one RBI) -- each had multi-hit games for Coast.

After falling behind 3-0, the Pirates regrouped and grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning. Back-to-back doubles by Bruder and Tucker Chadd helped get Coast on the scoreboard. A Nehrir single scored Chadd to make it 3-2 and a fielding error by GWC leftfielder Thomas Walker on a Argomaniz single brought in Nehrir to tie the game at 3.

Saenz, who was a home run shy of the cycle, ripped an RBI-triple to right to score Argomaniz, putting the Pirates up for good.

With the newfound lead, relief pitcher David Wilson (3-0) made the most of his opportunity, pitching 6 1/3 innings of three-hit, scoreless relief. He walked nobody, while striking out four.

With the Rustlers (7-7, 0-1) held in check, the OCC offense continued to pour it on, scoring four runs in the fifth and six more in the sixth, sending 18 men to the plate over those two innings. Saenz was the big bopper during that span, hitting a two-run single in the fifth and added a two-run double in the sixth.

Thomas Walker was the lone multi-hit player for the Rustlers, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.

The Pirates will return to action on Saturday at Cypress College, beginning at 12 p.m. OCC's next home game will be on Tuesday against Santa Ana, beginning at 2 p.m.