Six-run seventh propels Pirates to 9-5 win over Riverside
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 0 |
|
Riverside | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 5 |
RIVERSIDE -- The Orange Coast College baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit to top Riverside City College, 9-5, on Tuesday in an Orange Empire Conference matchup played at the Evans Sports Complex.
The Pirates (14-9, 5-3 in the OEC) used a six-run seventh inning and tacked on three more runs in the ninth to preserve the win after the Tigers (15-6, 3-5) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings.
With Riverside racking up eight hits over the first 1 1/3 innings, reliever Scott Serigstad (3-2) came into the game to hold down the fort and keep the Pirates in the game. He did just that, allowing one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts. Closer Dominic Purpura pitched two scoreless innings to collect his fifth save of the season.
In the Pirates' seventh, Chris Prescott was hit by a pitch and went to third on a double by Nick Grimes (3-for-5, one run, two RBI). Robert Longtree and Chaneng Varela each reached base by infield errors, allowing Prescott and Grimes to score, cutting the Coast deficit to 4-2.
Tommy Bell came through with a double to left field, scoring Longtree and Varela and tying the game at 4. After Bell stole third, Jack Kruger singled to right, which scored Bell and put Coast ahead, 5-4. Two batters later James McLellan reached on another RCC error, which scored Kruger and pushed OCC's lead to 6-4.
Riverside scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-5, but Coast came back with a very productive ninth. After the first two Coast batters were retired, singles by Cole Rutherford and McLellan were followed with an RBI-double by Prescott and a two-run single by Grimes to give the Pirates a 9-5 advantage.
Both teams slugged out 15 hits. For Coast, Prescott (2-for-3, two runs, one RBI), Varela (2-for-5, one run, one RBI), Bell (2-for-4, one run, two RBI) and Stephen Corona (2-for-4) joined Grimes in the multi-hit department. For the Tigers, Israel Fuentes went 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Garrett Dean added three hits and two RBI.
The Pirates and Tigers will wrap up their three-game season series on Thursday at OCC's Wendell Pickens Field, beginning at 2 p.m.
