Pirates snap losing slide with 7-0 win over Southwestern

COSTA MESA -- All of the things that the Orange Coast College baseball team struggled through during its four-game losing streak all went away on Saturday afternoon as the Pirates rolled to a 7-0 win over visiting Southwestern College on Saturday Wendell Pickens Field.

The Pirates (3-5), who couldn't get the "big hit" or make the "key play" over the past week, put things back together and improved to 3-0 at home (0-5 on the road).

After an uneventful opening trip through the batting order through the first three innings, Coast solved SWC starter Brandon Teichman (0-1). 

After James McLellan was hit by a pitch, Andrew Garcia followed with a single to center, putting runners on first and second. Robert Teel (2-for-3, two runs, one RBI) followed up with a run-scoring single to left that brought home McLellan and put Coast ahead, 1-0.

Jake Gozzo (1-for-3, one run, two RBI) came through with an RBI-single to right to make it 2-0. After Nick Grimes walked to load the bases, Mondesi Gutierrez brought in Teel with an RBI-single and it was 3-0. Teichman's day ended with a bases-loaded walk to J.T. Navarro, which closed out OCC's four-run fourth inning.

That offense was more than enough for the Pirate pitching staff, led by starter Michael Giacone (1-1), who threw five scoreless innings on just four hits with five strikeouts to pick up the win. Relievers Ryan Randel, Casey Costello and Jaiden France combined to allow just two hits over four scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

McLellan (leadoff single) and Garcia (hit-by-pitch) again set the table for the Pirates in the bottom of the fifth and three batters later, Grimes cashed them both in with a two-run double down the right-field line, putting the Pirates in front, 6-0.

In the bottom of the seventh a pair of errors and a sacrifice fly by Gozzo gave Coast its final run of the afternoon. 

Robert Simmons and Steven Sherwood each went 2-for-3 for the Jaguars, but the rest of the squad went a combined 2-for-26.

The Pirates will play at the College of the Canyons on Tuesday (2 p.m.) before returning home to play Palomar on Thursday (2 p.m.).