
Pirates Plunder Game from Tigers
No. 12-ranked Riverside City College took a heartbreaking 5-4 defeat at home after Orange Coast College scored three unanswered runs in the ninth to steal the game away.
The Tigers fall to 21-11 overall and 8-5 in the Orange Empire Conference, while the Pirates improve to 10-22 on the year, 4-9 in conference.
OCC scored the first run of the game in the top of the third, but RCC answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly from Ian Nguyen (1-for-3) to make it a 1-1 game.
In the bottom of the fourth, as Parker Sobiesiak (3-for-4) stole second base to draw a throw from the catcher, Darin Osterloh (1-for-2) stole home and beat the throw to give Riverside the lead, 2-1.
The Pirates tied the game up in the top of the sixth, but once again the Tigers took the lead back after Logan Clear (2-for-4) hit an RBI single, 3-2.
Marc DiCarlo Jr. gave RCC a little breathing room in the seventh after he hit a sacrifice fly to up the Tigers' lead to 4-2, but OCC took the wind out of Riverside's sails in the top of the ninth with three runs to jump in front 5-4.
Needing one run to keep the game going, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but Orange Coast made a double play to end the inning and secure the 5-4 result.
Riverside looks to bounce back on the road, heading to OCC on Thursday at 2 p.m. before the two teams return to Evans Sports Complex on Friday for the series finale.