College baseball: OCC rally falls short, 8-7

COSTA MESA - The Orange Coast College baseball team saw its bid for

a second straight dramatic comeback fall short Saturday as visiting

Saddleback held on for an 8-7 Orange Empire Conference victory.

Saddleback (16-10, 6-9 in conference) scored three times in the ninth

inning to take an 8-5 lead.

Jason Reuss hit a two-run homer for OCC (9-17, 3-10) in the ninth, his

10th of the season, which leads the conference. But that was all the

hosts could muster.

OCC rallied for six runs in the eighth to top Long Beach City, 11-10,

Thursday.

Corona del Mar High product Eric Wiethorn drove in three runs Saturday

for the Pirates.

Adam Anderson and Blair Havens each had two OCC hits.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Saddleback 8, OCC 7

Saddleback 220 001 003 - 8 13 3

OCC 002 300 002 - 7 9 0

Kemp and Arhart; Parkin and Keller. W - Kemp, 4-2. L - Parkin, 0-2. 2B -

Valiente (S), Lopez (S), Williams (S). 3B - Anderson (OCC), LaRue (S). HR

- Reuss (OCC), Pierson (S).