Four-run Eighth Lifts Orange Coast to 6-3 Win at Riverside City Saturday

RIVERSIDE – A pair of two-run hits with two outs in the top of the eighth inning helped the Orange Coast College (OCC) Pirates to a come-from-behind 6-3 road win over the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's baseball team in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) game Saturday afternoon (Apr. 23) at Evans Sports Complex.

Orange Coast (16-17 overall, 7-11 OEC) scored the first pair of four runs in the eighth when freshman catcher Robert Teel smacked a two-run double into right-center field to put OCC ahead for good at 4-3. After a pair of pitching changes sandwiched a wild pitch and a hit batter, sophomore 2B Mondesi Gutierrez stroked a two-run single to right field, giving the Pirates some insurance runs. Gutierrez went two for four for OCC.

After OCC led, 1-0, with a run in the third, Riverside City (19-14, 7-11 OEC) tied the game at 1-1 on a RBI single by sophomore 2B Anthony Ward (Fresno / Clovis HS / Reedley CC) which chased home sophomore DH Casey Sheehan (Redlands / Redlands East Valley HS '14 / UCR).  Sheehan had a one-out single, stole second and went to third on a single by freshman catcher Zach Grande (San Bernardino / Cajon HS '15). Sheehan went two for four for RCC.

In the sixth, sophomore LF Michael Darr (Corona / Santiago HS '14) singled to center field with one out and came around to score on a triple to center field by freshman 1B Ryan Mota (Fontana / Kaiser HS), his first three-bagger of the season. Mota scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by sophomore SS Brody Weiss (Denver, CO / Regis Jesuit HS '13). Mota also went two for four for RCC.

OCC starting sophomore RHP Jack Pabich went the distance (9.0 innings) for his first complete game of the season. He allowed the three runs (all earned) on eight hits and two walks along with four strikeouts to improve to 4-2.

RCC starting sophomore RHP Andrew O'Brien (Corona / Corona HS '13) -- who is pictured -- went the first 7.0 innings for the Tigers and left with a 3-2 lead. Reliever Christian Stiegele (Murrieta / Murrieta Mesa HS '15) pitched two-thirds of the eighth inning and allowed three runs (all earned) on one hit and two walks as his record fell to 3-1.

Both teams return to OEC action on Tuesday, Apr. 26, at 2 p.m. when Riverside City hosts the Irvine Valley College (IVC) Lasers, while Orange Coast will visit the Santa Ana College (SAC) Dons in the first game of a three-game OEC series.

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