Pirates rally for 5-2 win over Bobcats
COSTA MESA -- It was a dogfight on the tennis courts of Orange Coast College on Tuesday and in the end, the host Pirates slipped past visiting Saddleback College, 5-2, in an Orange Empire Conference thriller.
OCC (7-3, 1-0 in the OEC) trailed 2-1 after the doubles session and needed every bit of depth on the roster to rally past the Bobcats (0-3, 0-1). The lone Pirates victory in doubles came from the team of Yuta Kawabata and Kai Rodriguez, who cruised to an 8-3 win.
In singles play, it was a battle down to the last drop of sunlight as the Pirates needed three sets to prevail in two matches, while picking up a pair of straight-set victories as well. Two other matches were unfinished due to darkness.
Rodriguez (6-0, 6-3) and Ryan Palaeologus (6-2, 6-3) took care of business in timely fashion, while Jake Hastings (3-6, 6-0, 6-3) and Faress Sorial (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) needed a third set to earn their victories, giving the Pirates the team win.
Kawabata (6-7, 7-6, 5-2 (suspended) and Malik Thiaw (3-6, 6-4, 2-2 (suspended) could not get their matches completed before the sun went down in an afternoon of hard-fought tennis between both teams.
Coast will travel to Fullerton College on Thursday at 2 p.m. OCC's next home match will take place on Thursday, March 3, against Riverside City College, beginning at 2 p.m.
