Pirates rout Hornets to even series
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fullerton | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
|
Orange Coast | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | X | 21 | 20 | 0 |
COSTA MESA -- After a lopsided loss on Tuesday to Fullerton College, the Orange Coast College baseball team returned the favor in a big way on Thursday, routing the visiting Hornets, 21-5, on Thursday at John Altobelli Ballpark.
The Pirates (11-6, 1-1 in the Orange Empire Conference) were relentless at the plate, pounding out a season-high 20 hits, while scoring a season-high 21 runs. Six different OCC players had multi-hit performances, including Kael Corridan, who went 4-for-4 with a run scored and five RBI. Gibson Rath added a 4-for-5 game with three runs and four RBI, while Alan Choo added two hits, three runs and two RBI.
In spite of another game with an abundance of walks allowed (nine), the Pirate pitchers dodged potential big innings by the Hornets (14-7, 1-1) with some timely strikes and solid defense. The Pirate relief foursome of Bret Nelsen (2-0), Nolan Hill, Ryan Hoogendorn and Ryan O'Neill held the Hornets in check over the final 5 1/3 innings. It would have been 5 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball if not for a lost fly ball in the sun that scored a pair of Fullerton runs in the seventh inning. O'Neill threw two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with no walks and four strikeouts for the top pitching performance of the afternoon.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, Coast responded loudly with three straight doubles from Choo, Tyler Covington and Zach Boynton, tying the score at 2. From there, OCC tacked on five more first-inning runs to jump in front, 7-2.
Coast added a single run in the second before blowing the game open with a six-run third inning and from there, the OCC bats never let up.
Game 3 of this week's series will take place on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Fullerton College. OCC's next home game will take place on Tuesday against Santa Ana, beginning at 2 p.m.
