Pirates top Cougars in series finale, 4-2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
|
Cuesta | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- After a rough start, it was a happy ending for the Orange Coast College baseball team, who topped Cuesta College, 4-2 on Saturday to take 2-of-3 from the Cougars in a hard-fought series between two quality programs.
Zach Dickason went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Jaden Lyburtus added two hits for the Pirates (4-2).
But the story of the day was the Pirate pitching duo of Jack Ross and Chase Rousselo. Ross (1-0) earned the win with 5 1/3 innings of solid work, holding the Cougars (3-3) to one run on six hits with six strikeouts. From there, the ball was handed to Rousselo, who went the rest of the way, allowing one run on one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings to collect his first save of the year.
Coast scored first in the top of the second inning when Luke Davis walked, advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a Lyburtus single and Cuesta fielding error, putting the Pirates up, 1-0.
Cuesta evened the score in the bottom of the second, but that would be it for the Cougars' offense until a solo home run by Liam McDonald in the bottom of the ninth.
Ethan Brand drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth to put OCC ahead, 2-1. Kanan Treece doubled with one out in the seventh, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 and an RBI-double by Dickason put the Pirates up 4-1 in the seventh.
Rousselo came into the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but coaxed a fly out to end the threat. From there, he retired seven of the next eight batters before the ninth-inning HR made it 4-2. But Rousselo shrugged it off and finished the Cougars off two batters later.
Coast will return to John Altobelli Park on Tuesday against San Diego Mesa, beginning at 1 p.m. (TICKETS)
