Pirates' struggles continue with 12-inning loss to Rustlers
| Final (12) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Golden West | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 0 |
|
Orange Coast | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 4 |
COSTA MESA -- It's been an April to forget for the Orange Coast College baseball team as the Pirates suffered their fifth loss in six games this month with a 14-10, 12-inning defeat to visiting Golden West on Friday.
Coast (20-14, 11-8 in the Orange Empire Conference) rallied from five runs down with a four-run seventh and a two-run eighth to grab a 10-9 lead heading in to the ninth, but the Rustlers (21-13, 13-6) would not be denied, tying the game in the ninth, then winning with four runs in the top of the 12th.
The loss dropped the Pirates two games behind Cypress and GWC, who are now both tied for first place in the OEC. All three teams face other conference foes as the Pirates take on Saddleback, Golden West plays Riverside and Cypress takes on Fullerton. If OCC were to win its final two games and the Rustlers and Chargers were to go 0-2, there would be a three-way tie atop the standings, with GWC earning the top seed, OCC taking second and Cypress taking third. Should the Pirates go 0-2 against the Gauchos, OCC would finish tied for third with Saddleback and the Gauchos would earn the No. 3 seed out of the conference.
Walks and errors killed the Pirates on Friday as Coast surrendured 11 free passes and committed four errors which led to seven unearned runs for the Rustlers.
Jack Kruger went 5-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBI, while Jeff Nellis added three hits and an RBI for Coast. Stefan Panayiotou put the Pirates back out in front with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth as Coast rallied for a 10-9 lead.
But Golden West loaded the bases with two singles and a walk and tied the game on an RBI-ground out by Kyle Moore.
It stayed that way until the 12th when GWC grabbed the lead for good. James Stea walked and advanced all the way home when a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Stahl was air-mailed into right field by pitcher Casey Costello (3-4). Five batters later, GWC had the bases loaded with two outs when Dillon Persinger (3-for-4, four RBI) ripped a two-run double to left to make it 13-10 and the Rustlers would tack on a fourth on a run-scoring wild pitch.
Coast will play at Saddleback on Tuesday (2 p.m.) before wrapping up the regular season at home against the Gauchos on Thursday (2 p.m.).
