Pirates win SoCal Regionals!

COSTA MESA -- There was no need for a Gatorade shower for Orange Coast College head men's golf coach Sean Collins following Monday's Southern California Regional Championship, held at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club.

With on-again, off-again showers and the occasional down-pour, dry clothes were the exception, not the norm, for the Pirates or any of the other players, coaches or spectators in attendance.

But through it all, it was the Pirates who took home the top prize, becoming the first OCC team to take home the Southern California Regional title since 1958 with a 12-shot win in the two-round event.

Coast shot a combined 1-over-par for the tournament with a team score of 721 -- an incredible score considering the weather conditions, but to Collins, it was a score he knew his team was capable of shooting.

"This team is a very talented team and we were up for the challenge," Collins said. "We had a lull during the middle part of the season because the guys didn't have that intensity needed to get things done. Now, the chemistry is better and with these top teams in the mix, we need to play at that level in order to be successful."

The College of the Canyons finished second behind the Pirates with a 733 and also advanced to next week's CCCAA State Finals on Monday at 7 a.m. at the Rancho Canada Golf Club in Carmel.

Other team scores included Santa Barbara (746), Palomar (751), Santiago Canyon (755), El Camino (761), College of the Desert (770) and Ventura (782).

OCC's Kyle Melchiorre tied Palomar's Jordan Asper for the low score for the event after he carded a 4-under-par 140. He battled through the early weather and shot even par though the first 18, then overcame the constant wind and a late drenching to shoot a 4-under 68 in the afternoon round.

Marcus Mercado-Kiel showed great consistency and shot a pair of 1-under 71s for a two-round total of 142. 

From there, it was a story of team depth for the Pirates, who had their next three scoring golfers stay within four shots of par for the afternoon.

Riley Murphy shot a 2-under 70 in the opening round on his way to a two-round total of 145. Kyle Pollema carded a pair of 73s for a 146, Michael Chen carded a 73-75-148 and David Pelekoudas came in with a two-round score of 155.

The Pirates will now turn their attention to the State Final Four, where they are in search of their first state golf title in 55 years.

"It's a long trip and it's another hard 36-hole session of golf against the best teams in the state," Collins said. "We will need to rise to the challenge once again. If we can play the way we're capable of playing, that's all I can ask of them."