Pirates even series with Hornets following 9-6 win

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College baseball team made the most of an early-game mental error by visiting Fullerton and turned it into a 9-6 Orange Empire Conference win on Thursday at John Altobelli Park.

In the top of the first inning, the Hornets (17-10, 5-3 in the OEC) looked to have extended a 1-0 lead to 3-0 on a two-run single and OCC error on the play. But following the completion of the play, OCC head coach Nate Johnson called in the umpires and showed that the Hornets batted out of turn on the play ... which they did. By rule, the play was ruled an out, the Fullerton hit, the OCC error and the two runs scored on the play were all wiped out and Coast escaped the jam trailing only by one run.

The Pirates (14-10, 4-4) needed just two batters to even things up as Jake Taylor singled and scored on a Cary Arbolida single and throwing error by the Hornets. Garrett Bevacqua followed with a single left that scored Arbolida and gave OCC a 2-1 lead.

Back came the Hornets in the second as they scored three in the second to grab a 4-2 lead, only to see Coast even things up with a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line off the bat of Arbolida.

Jimi Welsher came in relief and slowed the Hornets down over the next three innings and allowed no runs on two hits with two strikeouts.

Emilio Morales put OCC in front in the bottom of the fourth inning, 5-4, with a solo home run to left.

It stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when pinch-hitter Niko Santamaria lined a triple-to right-center and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Marco Malerba to even things at 5.

But the Pirates answered back in the bottom of the seventh and grabbed the lead for good. A bloop-double from Bevacqua and a single to center by Isaiah Morales put runners on first and third with nobody out. Expecting a bunt, Malerba crashed towards home from first base, only to see Ku hit a rocket right at him from about 20 feet away. Malerba managed to save his own well being by getting his glove on the line shot, but the ball shot away, scoring Bevacqua from third, putting the Pirates back in front, 6-5. After Ku stole second, back-to-back sacrifice flies from Logan Jackson and Emilio Morales helped OCC tack on two more runs for an 8-5 advantage.

An RBI-single by Jared Benash cut the OCC lead to 8-6 in the top of the eighth, but again, OCC matched the Pirates with a run in the bottom half of the eighth with an RBI-double by Arbolida that scored Taylor on the play.

That would be plenty for Pirate closer Matt Maloney, who retired the side in order in the ninth to collect his sixth save of the season.

Arbolida went 3-for-5 with a run and three RBI for OCC, while Ku went 3-for-4 with a run and one RBI. Emilio Morales added two hits, two runs and two RBI, Taylor went 2-for-5 with two runs and Bevacqua finished 2-for-5 with a run and RBI.

The Pirate bullpen of Welsher, Sean Bolin (2-0), Jackson Ouellette and Maloney combined to hold the Hornets to just two runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts over the final seven innings.

Game 3 of this week's series takes place on Friday at Fullerton College, beginning at 2 p.m.

OCC's next home game will be on Tuesday against Golden West at 2 p.m. CLICK HERE FOR PARKING INFORMATION FOR TUESDAY'S GAME.