Serigstad's strong starts lifts Pirates to 6-1 win over Santa Ana

COSTA MESA -- Scott Serigstad picked a good time for his best start of the season, leading the Orange Coast College baseball team to a 6-1 Orange Empire Conference win over visiting Santa Ana on Tuesday at Wendell Pickens Field.

Serigstad, who gave up five runs (three earned) on three hits and took the loss against the Dons back on Feb. 28, threw 8 1/3 innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. His longest start of the season had been six innings (vs. College of the Desert on Feb. 11) prior to his strong outing on Tuesday.

After Santa Ana (11-12-1, 2-9 in OEC) tied the game at 1 in the top of the fifth, Serigstad was not threatened until a pair of runners reached in the ninth. He retired 12 of the next 15 batters he faced before leaving after a single and a walk ended his afternoon. Jack Pabich coaxed a game-inning, double-play grounder to second to end the game and hand the Dons their ninth straight loss.

Meanwhile the Pirates (17-9, 8-3) have won five in a row and remain alone in first place atop the OEC standings. 

Coast started off the scoring in the bottom of the third when Jeff Nellis reached on a bunt single and advanced to third on a throwing error by SAC starting pitcher Andy Weddle (3-4). Robert Longtree brought in Nellis with an RBI-grounder to second, putting OCC ahead 1-0.

After SAC tied things in the top of the fifth, the Pirates pulled away with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, followed by a three-run seventh. In the fifth, Coast had first and third with one out, thanks to another Santa Ana error and a single by Jack Kruger. James McLellan followed with an RBI-single to left, putting OCC ahead for good.

In the sixth, a pair of singles by Nick Grimes and Nellis put runners on the corners with one out and Longtree came through with a perfectly executed safety squeeze, scoring Grimes on the play.

Tommy Bell led off the bottom of the seventh with a double down the left-field line and scored on an RBI-single by Kruger, putting Coast up 4-1. Four batters later, Coast had Kruger at third and Grimes at first and on a failed pickoff attempt at first, the ball got away from the Dons' first baseman, which allowed Kruger to score and make it 5-1. Chris Prescott followed with an RBI-single to right to close out the scoring.

The Pirates will return to action on Thursday at home against Fullerton, beginning at 2 p.m.