Fullerton hitter cripples OCC

Bryce Alderton

Each game is a must this time of year and opportunities can come only

so often for the Orange Coast College baseball team in its quest to

qualify for the Southern California Regional Playoffs.

That goal took a giant step backward Thursday afternoon as the

Pirates were defeated in Orange Empire Conference play by visiting

Fullerton, 5-3, in the first of a home-and-home two-game series that

concludes Saturday at Fullerton.

The Hornets (15-23-1, 7-13 in the OEC) evened their conference

record with Coast (18-18-1 overall) and played more like a team

fighting for its playoff lives, getting timely contributions from

hitters 6-9. Third baseman Gary Alexander, Fullerton’s No. 9 hitter,

went 3 for 4 with a double, single and two-run home run over the

center-field fence in the seventh inning, which proved to be the

difference.

“It was a fastball down the middle that I left up there for

[Alexander],” said OCC starter Kyle Allen, who threw seven innings

allowing five hits and striking out eight.

Alexander’s home run made it, 5-2, with Coast tacking on a run in

the bottom of the seventh as shortstop Ben Hanna walked and came

around to score on Jeff Piaskowski’s bloop single to right field.

Cleanup batter Ryan Mathes and No. 5 hitter Greg Benoit each had

sacrifice groundouts in the inning to put Hanna at third.

Fullerton right-handed closer James Voorhees came on to start the

eighth inning in relief of left-handed starter Scott Sarver and got

his fifth save. Sarver managed to get away with allowing only two

runs on 10 hits in seven innings while striking out five.

OCC amassed 11 hits total, but left 10 men on base, eight in the

first four innings. The Pirates also committed three errors, two in

the fifth, that both led to unearned runs. Fullerton’s Justin Rigsby

was called out on a third strike, but the ball was dropped and Rigsby

beat out a throw that drew first baseman Kyle Stanley off the bag.

Fullerton third baseman Vince Sanossion followed with a towering pop

up into shallow right field that should have been caught, but an OCC

player fell down trying to make the play. Alexander then singled in

two runs.

Coast’s second baseman Tyler Shaffer singled three times and had

an RBI and run scored. Mathes smacked a Sarver curve ball down the

left-field line to plate Shaffer in the first to give Coast a 1-0

lead. With runners at first and second and one out, Sarver struck out

the next batter and got center fielder Greg Benoit to ground out on a

check swing.

Coast’s best chance to break open the game came in the fourth

inning, when Shaffer singled sharply -- with one out -- to left field

to plate designated hitter Micah Hazen, who singled twice in five

at-bats. That gave Coast a 2-1 lead.

Stanley then reached base when the Fullerton right fielder dropped

the ball to load the bases. But Coast would get no closer, as Sarver

fielded a comebacker to the mound to force third baseman Chris

Bullock at home and Mathes then hit a bullet stopped by Alexander,

who touched the third-base bag for the final out of the inning.

*--*

Orange Empire Conference

Fullerton 5, OCC 3

Score by Innings

Full 001 020 200 -- 5 5 1

OCC 100 010 010 -- 3 11 3

Sarver, Voorhees (8) and Morales; Allen,

Murdy (8) and Grant, Hicks (8). W --

Sarver, 5-5. L -- Allen, 6-4. S --

Voorhees, 5. 2B -- Mathes (OCC),

Alexander (F). HR -- Alexander (F)

*--*