Pirates fall late to Glendale, 8-6

COSTA MESA -- It was a hard-fought battle against the No. 3 team in the state for the Orange Coast College baseball team, but a pair of late runs did the Pirates in as the Vaqueros pulled out an 8-6 nonconference win on Wednesday at John Altobelli Park.

Izza Madariaga's two-out, bases-loaded, two-run single broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the ninth and GC starter-turned-closer Aaron Suval, stranded a pair of OCC runners in the bottom of the ninth for his first save of the season. The Vaqueros (27-5), winners of 17 straight games, put up a pitching line straight from the movie, "Bull Durham" with 13 walks and 12 strikeouts combined from six different pitchers. 

Coast (15-18) trailed throughout the first half of the game before tying things up in the bottom of the sixth. Down, 6-3, the Pirates used an RBI-double by Ryne Lina, an RBI-single by Jordan Ku and an RBI-infield single by Logan Jackson to pull even with the Vaqueros, 6-6.

Three walks from Pirate hitters loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, but GC pitcher Aaron Treloar (1-1) kept OCC off the scoreboard before grabbing the lead for good in the ninth.

A leadoff single by Isaiah Velasco was followed by a lost fly ball to shallow right which put runners on first and second with nobody out. A botched pickoff attempt moved the lead runner up to third and a stolen base moved the trail runner to second, still with nobody out.

Pirate closer Matt Maloney picked up a strikeout for the first out and after an intentional walk to load the bases, the freshman righty struck out his next batter for the second out. But Madariaga spoiled Maloney's attempt to wiggle out of damage when he lined a single to left to put the Vaqueros up, 8-6.

A Cameron Mahaffy walk was followed two batters later by a double down the third-base line by Jason Karrig, putting the tying runs in scoring position. But, the Pirates stranded 14 total baserunners, including those final two, to end the game.

OCC will return to action on Thursday at home against L.A. Mission, beginning at 12 p.m.