Navarro's late heroics lift Pirates to 4-3 comeback win over Hornets

COSTA MESA -- J.T. Navarro's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning helped the Orange Coast College baseball team come all the way back from a 3-0 deficit to top the first-place Fullerton College Hornets, 4-3, on Saturday at Wendell Pickens Field.

Struggling to find answers against Fullerton starter Louis Corral, the Pirates trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before finally finding some success with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings before blowing up the Hornets' bullpen in the ninth with a pair of runs to cap off the hard-earned win.

Fullerton (19-5, 7-2 in Orange Empire Conference) had control of the game through the first five innings and carried a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI-single by Justin Row and a two-run double off the bat of David Miranda, but the Hornets went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position over that span as OCC starter Jack Pabich battled his way out of several jams and kept the game close.

In the fifth, the Pirates (13-11, 4-5) loaded the bases with only one out when Navarro drove in the first OCC run of the game with an RBI-single up the middle.

Daniel Hawkins slugged a solo home run to left -- his second of the season -- to bring the Pirates to within a run at 3-2 heading into the final three innings of play.

Row, who finished with three hits, was hit by a pitch with one outs in the top of the seventh, then stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the OCC catcher. Pabich struck out Austin Case for the second out for his final batter of the afternoon. Two batters later, after a walk by Miranda, OCC reliever Alex Hernandez struck out Austin O'Banion to end yet another Hornets' threat.  For the game, Fullerton was 2-for-16 in the RISP category and left nine baserunners for the afternoon.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jaiden France beat out an infield single to lead things off. Pinch-runner Austin Moore cane on and advanced to second on an single to the right side by John Balliet (3-for-4, two runs). Jake Scott walked to load the bases before Robert Bultena followed with an RBI-walk, scoring Moore and tying the game at 3. 

Case came into the game in relief of Nick Vega (3-1), but it was of no use as Navarro looped a two-strike single into right field to score Balliet with the winning run. 

Ryan Randel (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings to collect the win for Coast. Pabich finished with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.

Coast will now open up a three-game series against Irvine Valley College on Tuesday at Wendell Pickens Field, beginning at 2 p.m.