David Hill picks up ninth win as Pirates roll past Rustlers, 8-1

COSTA MESA -- Some late-inning offense proved to be enough for starting pitcher David Hill as the Orange Coast College baseball team cruised late to an 8-1 win over visiting Golden West on Tuesday at Wendell Pickens Field.

With the game in a 1-1 deadlock heading into the seventh-inning stretch, the Pirates (26-9, 13-7 in Orange Empire Conference) found the offense they were looking for as a pair of home runs highlighted a five-run frame, putting Coast ahead for good.

That offense helped give some breathing room to Hill, but the sophomore righty didn't need much help as he dominated the Rustlers (15-20, 6-14) through eight innings. Hill allowed just one run on two hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. He also held the Rustlers to six 1-2-3 innings on just 82 pitches.

GWC took the early lead when Michael Farris was hit by a pitch in the top of the fourth and scored on an RBI-double to right by Frank Califano. Hill, however left Califano on second with the help of a double-play, keeping the Rustlers from adding on to their total.

Coast answered right back in the bottom of the fourth when Tommy Bell singled to right, advanced to second on a ground out and scored two batters later on a bloop single to right by Jake Thumm.

From there, it was a pitcher's duel between Hill and GWC's Mitchell Moore, who held the Pirates to just one run over OCC got the better of him.

With runners on first and second with one out, Cody Nulph came through with an RBI-single to right-center, scoring Cody Bruder to make it 2-1.

Chris Iriart lofted a sacrifice fly to right to make it 3-1 before Bell (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI) launched a two-run home run to left-center -- his fourth of the season -- making it 5-1. Moore (3-7) allowed five runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings in the loss.

Daniel Delaney (3-for-4, one run, one RBI) greeted reliever Garrett Gibson with a solo home run to left, putting Coast ahead 6-1.

The Pirates tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Thumm (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) led off with a single, advanced to second on an infield single by Longtree (2-for-4, one run), took third on a fly out by Bruder and scored on a ground out by L. Grant Davis (2-for-4, one run, one RBI), putting Coast ahead 7-1. Nulph (2-for-4, one run, two RBI) followed with a run-scoring single to center to make it 8-1.

With the win, Coast remains tied for first place with Santa Ana heading into the regular season's final afternoon on Thursday.

The Pirates and Rustlers will wrap up the regular season on Thursday, at GWC's Fred Hoover Field, beginning at 2 p.m. Santa Ana will play at Cypress, also at 2 p.m.

Playoff seedings will be announced this weeked. Log onto www.occpirateathletics.com for the latest playoff information as it becomes available.