Pirates score late, often in 10-4 win over Dons
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 1 |
|
Santa Ana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
SANTA ANA -- The bats came alive at just the right time for the Orange Coast College baseball team, who scored six runs over the final two innings to pull away from Santa Ana for a 10-4 win in the Orange Empire Conference opener for both teams on Tuesday.
Ethan Brand went 4-for-5 with two runs and four RBI for the Pirates (14-4, 1-0), while Kanan Treece went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. Evan Scalley also had a big game with three hits and two runs scored as OCC pounded out 14 hits against the Dons (10-7, 0-1).
Coast trailed 2-0 after five innings before the offense found some success against SAC starter Brady Ashworth. With two outs and a runner on first base, a single by Scalley and a walk by Zach Crandall loaded the bases before Treece lined a single to right-center, scoring two runs to even the game at 2. Treece stole second and joined Crandall at home plate following a two-run single by Brand that put OCC ahead, 4-2.
A two-run home run off the bat of SAC's Troy Kent in the bottom of the sixth evened the game at 4, which dampened a strong outing from OCC starter Jack Ross, who allowed just two earned runs over six innings on just six hits, two walks and four strikeouts.
The Pirates grabbed the lead for good in the top of the eighth when -- with two outs and nobody on base -- Brand singled, Alex Gomez doubled and pinch-hitter Koby Williams walked to load the bases. Sebastian Moore, who was held hitless up to this point, singled down the right-field line to score Brand and Gomez to put the Pirates up, 6-4.
Reliever Chase Rousselo (2-0) picked up the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings on one hit with a pair of strikeouts.
Coast tacked on more runs in the ninth with an RBI-single by Treece, a two-run double by Brand and an RBI-single by Connor Debenon.
OCC and the Dons will play Game 2 of this three-game series on Thursday at John Altobelli Park, beginning at 2 p.m.
