Pirates sweep away Roadrunners

COSTA MESA — The swap meet on campus was shutting down. Orange Coast College wasn’t about to give its baseball game away.

College of the Desert loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, getting two runs across. With two out and two runners in scoring position, OCC starter Chris Licon felt confident up four runs.

“It was under control,” he said, even though he was on the bench.

The Pirates on Saturday looked cooler than the day before late in the game.

Beck Wheeler said Coach John Altobelli got tossed for stealing signs Friday. The Pirates still knew what was coming at the plate all Saturday afternoon.

Altobelli sat this one out, but OCC still collected 15 hits and beat the Roadrunners, 8-4, sweeping the three-game series.

Jeff Piaskowski, an assistant, filled in for Altobelli.

“It was like [Altobelli] wasn’t gone at all,” Wheeler said.

Altobelli showed up after the game. He was all smiles and understandably so. The Pirates head into a nonconference game at Chaffey Tuesday on a four-game winning streak.

Two days later, OCC (8-5) opens Orange Empire Conference play at Cypress. The Pirates are playing better at the right time. They expect to win a conference title after a runner-up finish last season.

The Pirates showed signs they’re capable of going far. Piaskowski said he managed a game for Altobelli last season, so he’s 2-0 now at OCC.

Wheeler helped ease Piaskowski’s transition. A two-run home run to left-center field, over the 400-foot sign did the job.

The sophomore capped a five-run seventh inning, giving the Pirates an 8-2 lead. The Roadrunners (2-11) hurt themselves because OCC put the game away with two outs.

Two-out situational hitting was when the Pirates batted the best.

When Licon left after six innings, OCC led, 3-2. Licon said his effort, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on six hits, was his best this season.

The game was still anybody’s to take.

“I was kind of getting nervous,” said Licon, who improved to 3-1. “I’m not really nothing if the guys behind me don’t really come in and do their job.”

The Pirates supported the sophomore from the start.

In the second inning, OCC went ahead, 2-1. This is where the timely hitting with two outs began.

The bottom of the lineup is usually the weaker part of a team’s offense. Alonzo Torres showed starter Mike Barro (0-1) he wasn’t an easy out.

Torres singled in a run. And the freshman hurt Barro again. The Roadrunners failed to chase down Torres in a rundown, starting from first base.

DJ Arellano raced home from third and scored.

Licon slowed down the Roadrunners, never giving up an extra-base hit. The Pirates got four, doubles from Drew Hillman and Brett Wallach, a triple from Mykal Stokes, and a homer from Wheeler.

Before Wheeler blasted his first homer of the season, the middle of OCC’s lineup kept the seventh alive.

Hillman, who went three for five, singled with two outs. Wallach, the clean-up hitter, followed up with a double, scoring Hillman. Scott Stidham singled in Wallach, and eventually Stidham scored on an error.

When Wheeler came to the plate, he remembered what Piaskowski told him earlier. Swing at strikes. Wheeler delivered.

“[They] stepped up to get a win for the skipper when he was gone,” said Piaskowski, not knowing how Altobelli spent his day away from the field before returning to it at the end of the game.

Maybe Altobelli checked out the swap meet on campus.

Nonconference

Orange Coast 8, College of the Desert 4

SCORE BY INNINGS

Barro, Van Hoon (8) and Gingras; Licon, Krogman (7) and Arellano. W – Licon, 3-1. L – Barro, 0-1. 2B - Hillman (OCC), Wallach (OCC). 3B – M. Stokes (OCC). HR – Wheeler (OCC).

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].