Orange Coast College

Baseball: Crazy ninth inning does in Pirates

Sunday, February 01, 2009

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Former Major League Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giomatti once said that baseball "...was designed to break your heart." Such was the case on Saturday for the Orange Coast College baseball team as a 4-2 ninth-inning lead evaporated and turned into a 5-4 loss against Cuesta College.

With both teams playing with playoff-type intensity, the game was a pitcher's duel for the first eight innings. OCC starter Brett Wallach threw seven strong innings, allowing just two runs (both earned) on five hits with six strikeouts, retiring 14 straight batters through one stretch.

Cuesta righty Joey Parsons topped Wallach's strong effort, allowing just one run on four hits with five strikeouts through seven innings.

Trailing 2-1 with two runners on and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Coast's offense came to life. Ryan Sheeks led things off with a single to center and was moved into second base on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Dunn.

After an infield pop-up brought the Pirates (2-2) down to their last out, Scott Stidham was intentionally walked to bring up pinch-hitter Gary Detwiler. The freshman reserve outfielder, who hit a home run in his first OCC at-bat on Friday, launched 2-1 curveball over the left-field fence for a three-run home run, giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead and sending the Pirates dugout into a frenzy.

But in a weekend of relentless offense by the Cuesta Cougars (3-2), the Pirates knew a simple bottom of the ninth was not an option. A Coast fielding error, a single and a walk loaded the bases for Cuesta with nobody out.

Coast closer Scott Hong struck out the next batter, but Cuesta's Brett Hartman followed with a two-run single to left, tying the game at 4. Danny Poma followed with a potential inning-ending double-play grounder to shortstop, but the throw to first bounced off of Coast's first baseman, allowing the runner from second to come all the way around to score the winning run.

Mykal Stokes went 3-for-4 with two triples and a run scored for the Pirates, while Hong added an RBI single of his own.

OCC returns to action on Wednesday at Long Beach City, beginning at 2 p.m. The Pirates' next home game will be on Saturday at noon against the LBCC.