Pirates outlast Comets for 5-4, 11-inning win

COSTA MESA -- The new "W" flag was hoisted high above Wendell Pickens Field following Thursday's season-opening 5-4, 11-inning win over visiting Palomar. Too bad, nobody could see it.

After over three hours of baseball in dwindling light, the defending state champions (1-0) finally found victory in their final at-bat.

The bottom of the 11th started when Chris Blasing struck out, but reached first base when the dropped third strike was thrown away by Comet catcher Francis Christy.

Stefan Panayiotou, who came off the bench with two hits and two RBI, worked a hard-earned walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Nick Grimes laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position and after an intentional walk to Robert Longtree, Nellis came up with the game on the line.

The Comets (0-1), knowing that the game would be over regardless of the final outcome, tried to kill some time with a long visit to the mound and a pitching change to make life tougher for Nellis, but the sophomore shortstop came through with a single to center field, which plated Blasing to end the game.

Reliever Dominic Purpura picked up the win for the Pirates after five strong innings. The sophomore lefty allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

Purpura relieved starter Art Vidrio, who overcame a rough opening inning and allowed just two runs on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Palomar jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after a two-run double by Dylan Breault, but Coast scored single runs in the third and fourth to even things up.

In the third, Grimes lined a one-out single to right, advanced to second on an attempted bunt by Longtree and scored on a single to center by Nellis. In the fourth, Jack Kruger doubled to right-center and advanced to third on a ground out by Cole Rutherford. Wyatt Hoppie grounded out to third, but when first baseman Joel Mitchell tried to throw back to third, the ball got away, allowing Kruger to score.

In the bottom of the sixth, two-out singles by Rutherford and Hoppie and a hit-by-pitch by Blasing loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Panayiotou delivered with a two-run single to right, putting Coast ahead, 4-2.

But Palomar tied things up in the top of the seventh. A single and an error by the Pirates put runners on first and third with nobody out. Vince Mori made it 4-3 with an RBI-grounder to first and it appeared that Coast earned a second out on another 3-1 putout. But after a conference by the two umpires, the "out" call was overruled and Alec Salcido followed with a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 4. Had the call stayed, Salcido's fly ball would have ended the inning with Coast still out in front.

Longtree, Nellis and Panayiotou each had two hits for Coast, while, Chris Stratton, Derek Black and Joey Cooper also earned two hits apiece for the Comets.

The Pirates will return to action on Friday at home against Southwestern College, beginning at 2 p.m.