Community College Baseball : Ivy Proves Poison for OCC in 8-6 Defeat

In the game of baseball, the umpires are the ultimate authority. On a judgment call, what they say goes.

Take Thursday afternoon’s South Coast Conference game between Fullerton and Orange Coast colleges for example. An umpire’s decision in the bottom of the fifth turned what should have been a double into a home run and helped the host Hornets score an 8-6 victory over the Pirates.

The score was tied at 2 with two outs, a runner at first and Fullerton’s Darren Nelson at the plate. Nelson hit a Longo Garcia pitch high and deep to right field.

Orange Coast right fielder Gene Roumimper circled, went back to the ivy-covered fence and the ball disappeared from view. From the press box, it look as if the ball went into the ivy, which should have made it a ground-rule double. But umpire Scott Daniel ruled the ball had hit the top of the fence and bounced over, constituting a two-run home run.

Pirate Coach Mike Mayne, who had already lost an argument in the first inning, did not challenge the call. But, after what Fullerton Coach Mike Sgobba had to say--and did not have to say--after the game, perhaps Mayne should have protested.

When first asked if Nelson’s ball had cleared the fence, Sgobba smiled a sly grin and said, “No comment.” Then he elaborated a little.

“All I can say is that the umpire ruled the ball was a home run, and that makes it a home run.”

Fullerton (4-6 in conference and 18-12 overall) needed more heroics by Nelson, though, to get the win. Orange Coast (3-7, 8-13) had scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score, 5-5, before the Hornets rallied for three of their own in the bottom of the inning.

Jeff Oberdank led off the inning and was hit by a pitch (the fourth different way he had reached base during the day). Craig Repoz followed with a single. Mayne then called on Dan Ward to replace Garcia, and Nelson lined his first pitch past Pirate center fielder Dave Rolland for a two-run triple. Nelson later scored Fullerton’s final run on Jim Areias’ squeeze bunt.

Orange Coast scored an uneared run in the eighth to make it 8-6, but that was as close as the Pirates would get. Fullerton left-hander Gabriel Rodriguez (1-0), making his first appearance since suffering a broken hand in a batting practice accident five weeks ago, worked 2 innings in relief of Pat Simms to get the win.

Orange Coast, which has suffered some frustrating defeats while getting off to its worst start in nine years, had a good indication of how frustrating things would be Thursday in the first inning.

With one out, Oberdank singled and Repoz walked. With Nelson at the plate, the runners attempted a double steal. Nelson swung at the pitch and collided with Pirate catcher Paul Ellison, forcing him to get off a weak throw that allowed Oberdank to make it to third and Repoz to second.

Mayne argued with home plate umpire Charlie Lupo that Nelson had interfered with Ellison, but to no avail. After Nelson struck out, Rodney Clark’s infield hit scored both Oberdank and Repoz, who never broke stride from second base.

“Lupo thought I was arguing to make excuse for the bad throw, but it was interference and that caused the bad throw,” Mayne said. “It was the first of many breaks that went against us. It cost us two runs and we couldn’t overcome it.”

Rolland led the Orange Coast offense by getting two hits, and Gene Roumimper added a bases-empty home run. Nelson was 2 for 4 with four RBIs for Fullerton, while Clark added two hits and Repoz scored three times.

In other South Coast Conference action:

Cerritos 9, Saddleback 2--Scott Wilkinson was 3 for 4 with a home run to lead the first-place Falcons past the Gauchos at Saddleback.

Starter Al Osuna pitched six innings and earned the win. Chris Fredrick took the loss. Wilkinson’s solo homer in the third was followed one out later by a solo homer by Craig Worthington.

Steve Nichols and Dante Scott each had RBI singles for Saddleback.

Golden West 9, Mt. SAC 2--Todd Nash was 2 for 4 with four RBIs--including a two-run homer in the sixth inning--to lead Golden West (7-3, 16-4) to the win in Huntington Beach.

Larry Salaets worked six innings, giving up four hits and one earned run, to record his fourth straight win. Salaets (4-2) got relief help from Steve Overeem and Gary Buckles. Sam Kason took the loss for the Mounties (4-6, 13-9).

Shawn Gilbert was 3 for 4 for the Rustlers.

Santa Ana 19, Compton 2--The Dons had four home runs among their 18 hits in the rout at Santa Ana. Pat Flynn, Brent Rhylick, Vince Shinholster and Morgan Flynn all homered for Santa Ana. Steve Scanlon pitched five innings and got the win.

Pat Flynn finished the game 3 for 3 with five RBIs. Shinholster, Mike Winston and Morgan Flynn also had three hits for the Dons.

Mark Huff provided all of Compton’s scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.