COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Bottom Falls Out for OCC as Long Beach Wins in 9th

Orange Coast seemed well in control for the first six innings of its nonconference baseball game against Long Beach Wednesday.

The Pirates held a three-run lead with nine outs to go. But very little of the final three innings will make first-year Coach John Altobelli fondly remember his home debut.

Long Beach scored twice in the seventh, then three times each in the eighth and ninth and hung on for an 8-7 victory.

Long Beach led, 8-5, to start the ninth but OCC got home runs from Darren Brink and Paul McDaniels before Curtis Bruce struck out to end the game.

Orange Coast (5-4) did not go without chances, however. The Pirates left 13 runners on base, including 10 in scoring position.

Long Beach (4-4) scored three times to take a 5-3 lead in the eighth, but OCC came back with two in the bottom half of the inning to tie it. Brink reached on an error to start the inning and one out later McDaniels singled.

Bruce walked to load the bases and Jason Parsons and Aaron Weiss also walked to force in runs.

Long Beach came right back with three in the ninth though off losing pitcher Darin Dabalack (1-2). He hit Richard Alvarez and David Olivas singled to start the ninth.

Marcus McCain sacrificed and Neil Sauerheber doubled to left to drive in two. Sauerheber later scored on an infield single by Scott Wolfenbarger.

Kyle Wilson had started for Orange Coast and shut out Long Beach on three hits over the first six innings to lead, 3-0. OCC opened the scoring with a three-run home run by Justin Halper in the third.