Pirates roll to eighth straight victory

COSTA MESA -- Eric Wagaman went 2-for-3 with a run and four RBI to lead the Orange Coast College baseball team to its eighth win in a row, topping visiting Southwestern, 10-3, on Thursday at Wendell Pickens Field.

Ahead of Wagaman, leadoff hitter Travis Moniot and No. 2 hitter John Balliet reached base a combined seven times and scored six runs as the top of the order continued to inflict damage on the opposition. Moniot had a hit, three walks and three runs scored, while Balliet notched a pair of hits, a walk and scored three times.

Ramiro Velasco added a two-run double to add to the offensive display put forth by the Pirates (8-0). 

Starter Kyle Robeniol (2-0) earned the win, despite a rough finish to his afternoon. Still, the sophomore lefty allowed only three runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Blair Lewis came in to settle the game down and held the Jaguars (6-5) to just one hit over three scoreless innings before Ryan Randel battled out of a jam to record a scoreless ninth.

Coast wasted no time jumping on SWC starter Brandon Teichman (0-1). Moniot led off with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a single by Balliet and scored on an RBI-single by Wagaman. 

Balliet would score on a fielding error by the Jags and Wagaman would score on a grounder by Ramiro Velasco before the inning ended, putting Coast ahead, 3-0, after the first.

Wagaman tacked on a two-run single in the third to make it 5-0 before adding his fourth RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, putting Coast ahead, 6-0.

Robeniol cruised through the first four innings, before SWC came up with three runs on six hits in the top half of the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-3.

But in the bottom of the sixth, Coast pulled away for good with a four-run frame, highlighted by an RBI-single by Moniot and a two-run double down the left-field line off the bat of Velasco.

Weather permitting, the Pirates will play at College of the Desert for a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday before returning to Wendell Pickens Field to play Palomar College, beginning at 1 p.m.

Prior to the regularly-schedule game, the Pirates and Comets will wrap up their first matchup, played at Palomar on Feb. 10, which was stopped in the ninth inning due to darkness with OCC trailing, 6-5. Tuesday's game will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game.