Orange Coast College

Baseball: Licon's gem propels Pirates to eighth straight win

Monday, March 23, 2009

MISSION VIEJO -- Sophomore righty Chris Licon tossed a complete-game gem to lead the Orange Coast College baseball team to a 5-1 Orange Empire Conference win over Saddleback on Saturday for the Pirates' eighth straight win.

Licon (5-1, pictured right) allowed just seven hits and one walk over nine innings, striking out six along the way. It was the first complete game of the season for Coast (17-7, 8-2 in OEC).

The win keeps the Pirates atop the Orange Empire Conference along with Santa Ana, who notched a 3-1 win over Cypress to improve to 8-2 in conference as well.

After three scoreless innings, the Pirates found the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Drew Hillman doubled, went to third on an infield single by Scott Stidham and scored on a sacrifice fly by Beck Wheeler. After a stolen base, Ricky Stokes singled to center, scoring Stidham (2-for-4, two runs scored) to make it 2-0.

After Saddleback cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, OCC came right back with another pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Ryan Sheeks led off the fifth with a hit-by-pitch and Stidham walked two batters later. Wheeler (pictured below), who finished with two hits and three RBI, tripled down the right-field line, scoring both runners to make it 4-1, Coast.

In the top of the sixth, OCC closed out the scoring when D.J. Arellano singled, went to third on a single to center by Sheeks and scored on an RBI single to left by Mykal Stokes (2-for-4, one RBI).

That would be enough for Licon, who retired nine of the final 11 batters he faced.

The Pirates return to action on Tuesday at home against Saddleback at 2 p.m. Following a road game at Riverside on Thursday (2 p.m.), OCC will host the Tigers on Saturday, beginning at noon.