Pirates break away from Vikings in 11-3 win
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Long Beach | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
|
Orange Coast | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | X | 11 | 10 | 1 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College baseball team used its second seven-run frame of the young season to roll past visiting Long Beach City College, 11-3, on Tuesday at a chilly Wendell Pickens Field.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Pirates (2-1) grabbed the lead with a pair of runs before running away from the Vikings (1-1) with a seven-run seventh.
Coast took the lead for good when J.T. McLellan reached first base on an error by the Vikings, then, advanced to second on a single by Eric Wagaman. Chris Prescott bunted both runners up before pinch-hitter Andrew Garcia drove them both in on a two-run double down the left-field line.
The Vikings, who beat OCC on Saturday at LBCC, 5-1, were their own worst enemy on Tuesday as a pair of additional errors set the stage for Coast's seven-run frame.
A two-run triple off the bat of J.T. Navarro capped off the big inning as all seven runs scored were unearned for the Pirates.
OCC starting pitcher Colin Ashworth (1-0) overcame a rough second inning and allowed three runs on three hits over six innings, walking one and striking out five. All of his runs and hits allowed occurred in the third inning as the Vikings grabbed a 3-1 lead, but from there, Ashworth retired the final nine batters he faced and cruised the rest of the way.
Relievers Ryan Randel and Jack Pabich combined to toss three scoreless innings to close things out.
Navarro went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, while Nick Grimes added two hits, two runs and one RBI.
Coast will hit the road and kick off a three-game series at Cuesta College, beginning on Thursday at 2 p.m. OCC's next home game will be on Saturday, Feb. 13 against Southwestern College, beginning at 12 p.m.
