Orange Coast College

Baseball: Pirates double-up Vikings, 6-3

Saturday, April 11, 2009

COSTA MESA -- With the Orange Empire Conference schedule about to make its return to the calendar, the Orange Coast College baseball team returned to a more familiar lineup and another familiar result -- a 6-3 nonconference win over visiting Long Beach City College on Saturday at Wendell Pickens Field.

Mykal Stokes went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for the Pirates (24-9), while Brett Wallach added two hits a run scored and two RBI. Scott Stidham added a double and two RBI, Ricky Stokes added a hit and two runs scored and Ryan Dunn picked up two hits and drove in a run as well.

That run support was more than enough for sophomore righty Chris Licon (6-1), who returned the favor on the Vikings (21-14) with an eight-inning performance. After taking his lone loss of the season at LBCC on Feb. 4 (six runs, three earned on eight hits over three innings), Licon allowed just two unearned runs and four hits, walking one and striking out two.

In the ninth, the Vikings made things interesting with a run and the bases loaded, but Andy Abrams coaxed a line-out to Dunn to end the game, giving Abrams his second save of the season.

With the help of five doubles over the first four innings, OCC jumped out to a 2-0 advantage. OCC scored courtesy of RBI doubles from Drew Hillman and Stidham in the first and second innings, respectively.

LBCC would cut the deficit to 2-1 in the top of the fifth before the Pirates would respond in the bottom of the fifth. A walk, single and LBCC error put runners on second and third with nobody out. After a pop-fly produced the first out of the inning, Wallach stepped up and laced a single to center, scoring Ryan Sheeks and Mykal Stokes to make it 4-1.

Another defensive miscue helped plate the second run of the game for LBCC in the sixth, but OCC would add to its breathing room with a pair of runs in the eighth. Wallach opened the frame with a single to center, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Beck Wheeler, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI groundout by Stidham.

Ricky Stokes, who walked in the eighth, went to second on Stidham's grounder and scored on an RBI single by Dunn.

OCC returns to OEC action on Tuesday at home against Irvine Valley, beginning at 2 p.m. The Pirates, ranked No. 1 in Southern California, hold a one-game lead in the standings over Cypress and a two-game lead over Santa Ana.