Orange Coast College

Baseball: Pirates win state tourney opener over San Joaquin Delta; "Alto" picks up career win No. 400

Saturday, May 23, 2009

FRESNO -- The Orange Coast College baseball team inched one step closer to its ultimate goal with an 8-5 win over San Joaquin Delta in the opening round of the 2009 CCCAA State Baseball Championships, held at Fresno City College's John Euless Ballpark.

Along with the main importance of the win, OCC head coach John Altobelli reached a milestone of his own, earning career win No. 400, tying him with Mike Mayne atop the school's all-time wins list.

However, following the game, the talk was about the team's performance and not win No. 400.

"We were able to get the upper hand on them and the team wouldn't give it up," Altobelli said. "It seems like that's been our method of success -- jump ahead early and force the other team to try and play catch-up against our pitchers. So far, our pitchers have answered the challenge. Let's hope we can do it again on Sunday."

With the win, OCC will take on Diablo Valley in the winner's bracket semifinals, beginning at 2 p.m. DVC opened the state tourney with a 3-2 win over Santa Ana College. The Dons and Mustangs will play their elimination game at 10 a.m., also at FCC.

Mykal Stokes, Brett Wallach, Ricky Stokes and Beck Wheeler each added two hits and combined for six runs and five RBI. Second baseman Ryan Dunn returned to the starting lineup and picked up a clutch hit and drove in two for the Pirates (35-13).

On the mound, Chris Licon improved to 10-2 with another gritty performance. The sophomore righty allowed four runs over 7 2/3 innings, walking none and striking out four. Brett Williams pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to pick up his sixth save of the season.

WIth five runs over the first three innings, the Pirates were able to knock Mustangs' starter Zach Devalle out of the game early. The SJD lefty gave up seven hits and walked two in that three-inning span and suffered his first loss of the season (10-1).

OCC's first three runs came in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by Dunn, an RBI single by Ryan Sheeks and an RBI triple by Mykal Stokes.

In the third, Scott Hong delivered the fourth run of the game with an RBI double to right-center, scoring RIcky Stokes. Dunn followed that two batters later with an RBI single to center, scoring Hong to make it 5-0.

Ricky Stokes made it 6-0 with a one-out, RBI single to center, scoring Drew Hillman on the play.

Delta would get to within 6-3, 8-4 and 8-5 but would get no further as Hillman ended the game with a spectacular diving snag of a grounder and finished with play with a strike to Wallach at first.