Dehdashtian’s Homer Lifts Orange Coast, 8-7

Before this week, Orange Coast College was a struggling baseball team.

But Derek Dehdashtian hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning Saturday to lift the Pirates to an 8-7 victory over Saddleback at OCC. It was the third victory of the week for Orange Coast, which has returned to the Orange Empire Conference race.

It was also the third one-run victory this week for OCC (20-12-1 overall, 5-3 in conference play), which trails Rancho Santiago and Cypress by a game. OCC defeated Rancho Santiago by scores of 8-7 in 10 innings Tuesday and 6-5 in 12 innings Thursday. Rancho Santiago is the top-ranked team in the state.

OCC will play at Saddleback Tuesday, then will play Cypress Thursday and Saturday.

“Like I told the kids, we have to win each game to make the next one fun,” Mike Mayne, OCC coach, said. “It’s just fun to be back in the race.”

Saddleback (14-17, 2-6) scored four runs in the seventh inning as Jeff Walters had an RBI single, Keith Hatch an RBI triple, Nick Nikolenko an RBI single and Matt Lundin an RBI double for a 7-4 lead.

OCC narrowed the Saddleback lead to 7-6 with two runs in the seventh. Dehdashtian singled, Greg O’Halloran walked and Mike Misuraca forced O’Halloran at second. Darrel Connor singled to score Dehdashtian, and J.J. Culpepper slapped a single that hit the left-field line to score Misuraca.

Saddleback’s Ben Ortiz retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth but hit Craig Nixon with a full-count pitch. Lance August was then brought in to face Dehdashtian. On a 1-1 pitch, August hung a curveball to Dehdashtian, who lined the ball just over the left-field fence.

It was the 15th home run of the season for Dehdashtian, a sophomore transfer from Cerritos, where he played as a freshman in 1986. He moved within one home run of Bobby Hamelin of Rancho Santiago, who leads Orange County with 16.

Saddleback took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Chris Latham tripled and scored on a single by Donny Harrell. OCC tied it in the fifth on a double by Connor and a RBI single by Jason Young.

Saddleback took a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Hatch singled, and Nikolenko followed with a hit-and-run single, sending Hatch to third base. Latham hit a sacrifice fly to score Hatch, and Nikolenko scored on a throwing error by OCC shortstop Misuraca.

Saddleback committed two errors in the sixth to help OCC score three runs. O’Halloran walked and Misuraca reached base on a error. Denny Berni had a bloop single to center field to load the bases. Connor then grounded into a force play at the plate, but catcher Harrell, attempting a double play, had his throw go off the glove of Saddleback first baseman Carl Watkins and down the line. Watkins was charged with the error.

Misuraca and Berni scored and Connor reached third on the error. Connor later scored on a bunt single by Jeff Brouelette to give OCC a 4-3 lead.