Pirates power past Rustlers, 8-3

COSTA MESA -- After a less-than-stellar performance, the Orange Coast College baseball team returned to winning form with an 8-3 Orange Empire Conference win over visiting Golden West on Thursday at John Altobelli Park.

Zach Dickason went 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI for the Pirates (24-11, 10-7 in the Orange Empire Conference), while Evan Scalley added three hits and a run scored. Alec Gomez went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI and J.T. Crabbe added a pair of hits and scored twice to compliment OCC's eight-run, 15-hit offensive display against the Rustlers (19-17, 5-12).

GWC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second when Dylan Lina ripped a 2-run home run just to the right of the batter's eye in center field, but the Pirates picked up starting pitcher M.J. Gabaldon with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Ethan Brand reached on a fielder's choice and went to second on a single to right off the bat of Crabbe. Two batters later, Gomez came through with a two-run double down the left-field line, scoring Brand and Crabbe to tie the game at 2. Jayden Lyburtus followed with an RBI-single up the middle, to score Gomez, putting the Pirates ahead, 3-2.

Gabaldon settled down after the home run and gave the Pirates seven strong innings of work. The sophomore lefty allowed three runs on eight hits with only two walks and seven strikeouts. GWC runners were on base throughout the game, but Gabaldon got the "big out" when necessary and kept the Rustlers in check for most of the game.

A two-run double by Dickason and a run-scoring double by Brand highlighted OCC's three-run fourth, which put the Pirates up, 6-2. 

In the seventh, GWC made it 6-3, courtesy of an RBI single by Dylan Kordic, who went 2-for-2, but reached base five times, thanks to two HBPs and a walk. Once again, Coast would respond in the bottom of the frame with a pair of two-out runs as Dickason continued his torrid stretch of hitting with a two-run single to left that scored Scalley and Jake Taylor.

Jacob Odle had a solid eighth inning of relief with a 1-2-3 frame and two strikeouts, while Dimond Loosli finished things up with a scoreless ninth.

Both teams will be at GWC on Saturday for the series finale, beginning at 12 p.m. OCC's next home game will be on Thursday against Cypress, beginning at 2 p.m.