Bell, Kruger lead Pirates to 7-3 win over Gauchos

COSTA MESA -- The heart of the batting order delivered for the Orange Coast College baseball team en route to a 7-3 Orange Empire Conference win over visiting Saddleback on Thursday afternoon at Wendell Pickens Field.

Tommy Bell, who came into Thursday's game mired in a 1-for-14 slump, broke out in a big way, going 5-for-5 with three doubles, two runs and two RBI. Bell becomes the first player in OCC baseball history to record five-hit games in two different seasons. He notched his previous five-hit performance against College of the Canyons on Feb. 12, 2014. No other Pirate has ever had two five-hit games in their career.

Jack Kruger added three hits, including a double and two RBI, helping the Pirates (13-9, 4-3 in OEC) to just their second seven-run outburst since Valentine's Day.

Sophomore lefty Art Vidrio (4-1) continued his steady work, allowing just one earned run over 6 2/3 innings on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Relievers Jack Pabich and James McLellan combined to allow just two hits and five strikeouts over the final 2 1/3 innings.

For the Gauchos (13-5, 3-4), Cole Stanton went 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Brett Barker added three hits, including a double, but took the loss as the starting pitcher, allowing five runs (three earned) over five innings.

Coast jumped out in front in the bottom of the first. Robert Longtree was hit by a pitch to start the frame and two batters later, back-to-back RBI-doubles by Bell and Kruger put Coast ahead 2-0.

Saddleback made it 2-1 in the top of the second, but OCC answered with a single run in the third and two more in the fourth to make it 5-1.

In the third, a leadoff, wind-aided double by Bell was followed with a single to left by Kruger, putting runners on the corners. Cole Rutherford lined a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Bell to make it 3-1. In the fourth, Wyatt Hoppie reached on a double off the third-baseman's glove and scored when a sacrifice bunt attempt by Nick Grimes went untouched by the third baseman, allowing Hoppie to score from second. Two batters later, Bell singled in Grimes to make it 5-1.

Stanton's two-run single in the top of the fifth, brought the Gauchos to within a pair at 5-3, but the Saddleback bats would be quieted the rest of the way. 

In the seventh, McLellan ripped a solo home run to left -- his second of the season -- to make it 6-3 and in the eighth, an RBI-single by Kruger closed out the run production for both ball clubs.

Coast will return to action on Tuesday at Riverside City College, beginning at 2 p.m. OCC's next home game will be on Thursday against the Tigers, also at 2 p.m.