Pirates hang on for 4-3 win over Canyons

COSTA MESA -- Just enough offense and just enough pitching was the difference for the Orange Coast College baseball team as the Pirates topped the College of the Canyons, 4-3, on Thursday at Wendell Pickens Field.

A two-run double by Jack Kruger and RBI-singles by Tommy Bell and Cole Rutherford helped stake the Pirates (9-5) to a 4-1 lead through four innings and the pitching tandem of Art Vidrio (2-1) and reliever Dominic Purpura (third save) made it hold up.

Vidrio allowed three runs (two earned) over five innings on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts before Purpura threw the final four innings and held the Cougars (6-3) scoreless on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

JC Cloney (2-2) took the loss for Canyons after allowing four runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts over seven innings. Roy Verdejo, who came into the game batting .571, continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two RBI. Cole Mears added two hits and a run for the Cougars.

OCC catcher Jake Pulcheon went 3-for-4, while Kruger finished with two hits and two RBI.

Canyons jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before the Pirates answered in the bottom of the opening frame. Jeff Nellis reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild throw. Bell followed with a first-pitch single to center, scoring Nellis to make it 1-1.

In the bottom of the third, Robert Longtree led off with a single to right and after Bell was hit by a pitch, Kruger lined a triple into the right-field corner to bring in both runners. Two batters later, Rutherford's two-out single to left brought in the third Coast run of the inning and gave the Pirates a 4-1 advantage.

A solo home run in the fourth by Verdejo and an RBI-double in the fifth by Verdejo cut the Canyons' deficit to 4-3, but Purpura came in and allowed only one runner to reach scoring position the rest of the way.

The Pirates and Cougars will play again on Saturday at 12 p.m. out in Santa Clarita to wrap up nonconference play for OCC. Coast will open up Orange Empire Conference on Thursday at Wendell Pickens Field against Riverside, beginning at 2 p.m.