Bullpen helps Pirates rally past Bobcats in series finale

COSTA MESA -- It's hard to say that pitching was a key factor in a 10-8 win for the Orange Coast College baseball team, but that was precisely the case on Saturday afternoon at John Altobelli Park.

After allowing seven runs in the first two innings, the Pirate relief combo of Jonathan Robinson and Matt Maloney went to work and managed to keep the Bobcats in check for most of the afternoon.

Robinson (3-0) pitched four shutout innings of relief, allowing three runs with three walks and four strikeouts. Maloney earned his fourth save of the season, allowing just one run on four hits with two strikeouts over the final two innings.

While the Pirates (13-9, 3-3 in the Orange Empire Conference) finally found a way to quiet the Bobcats (17-6, 4-2) at the plate, the OCC bats just kept on doing what they've been doing all year ... scoring runs. 

Saddleback scored four runs in the top of the first inning, only to see Coast answer right back with four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame. Cameron Mahaffy led things off with a solo home run to make it 4-1. With two outs and a runner at second, the Pirate trio of Jordan Ku, Logan Jackson and Jake Lappin hit consecutive doubles to even the game at 4.

After the Bobcats put up three more runs in the top of the second, Coast picked up runs in the second and fourth innings to make it a 7-6 game with plenty of game left to be played.

Coast grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Emilo Morales drew a leadoff walk and scored on a double down the left-field line by Konnor Kincade. After consecutive outs were recorded, the Bobcats decided to walk slugger Cary Arbolida intentionally to face Isaiah Morales and the freshman second baseman made them pay for that decision with a two-run double down the left-field line to put OCC up, 9-7.

In the bottom of the sixth, Coast tacked on an insurance run when Jackson was hit with a pitch, he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lappin, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI-single by Emilio Morales. to make it 10-7.

Saddleback threatened in the top of the eighth. A single, an RBI-double and another single made it 10-8 with the tying runs in scoring position and only one out. But Maloney came through and coaxed an infield fly out and a foul out to first by Lappin to end the threat.

The Bobcats had runners on base in every inning, but the Pirates did a great job of getting outs at the right time to minimize the damage.

Jackson went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Arbolida reached base four times and scored three runs. Ku, Kincade and tyler Weaver each had two hits and a run scored as well.

OCC returns to action on Tuesday at Fullerton College to kick off a three-game series with the Hornets, beginning at 2 p.m. The Pirates will return to John Altobelli Park for Game 2 of the series on Thursday, also at 2 p.m.