Softball: OCC still learning

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The Orange Coast College softball team is learning on

the job. Another lesson came Friday when Golden West dealt a 6-1 loss to

spoil the Pirates’ home-opener and first Orange Empire Conference game.

The Rustlers (5-5, 1-1 in conference) managed just five hits, but

thrived on five Coast errors to score four unearned runs.

“It just looked like our confidence evaporated,” OCC first-year Coach

Jim Bollinger said. “We’re really thin on experience in the outfield.

Balls that are normally caught are not caught. I’m sure that takes its

toll on our pitchers.”

Both teams were scoreless through four innings until Golden West

reeled off three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings.

The Pirates (5-3-1, 0-1) answered with one run in the fifth, but could

not mount a comeback, leaving the bases loaded.

OCC pitcher Erin O’Hara threw until the fourth inning when she walked

three straight batters. With no outs and the bases loaded, sophomore Kim

Guillen came in relief and halted the Rustlers with three straight outs.

Golden West, however, came knocking again in the fifth inning as

O’Hara returned to the circle. Guillen replaced her again and an error in

center field allowed two runners to score. Rustlers’ pitcher Nina Fryslie

hit a double to bring another runner.

“Once one person gets down, we sometimes all get down,” said sophomore

catcher Meredith Miles, who went 2 for 4. “But, we just need to work

through that. Most us have the confidence. Some of us don’t. We are

getting new girls in and we don’t know what they can do. We’re just

trying to get to know each other.”

The Pirates actually added three new players, pushing the roster to

13, for their first OEC game, which included Cheri Lowingier, Anya Zapf

and Jordyn Cook.

OCC also has two players, Gabbie Davalos and Karie Green, new to the

sport of softball.

“The game should have been, at the very best, a 1-1 ball game,”

Bollinger said. “With execution, it’s a different ball game. But, coulda,

shoulda, woulda ... didn’t.”

The game was originally scheduled to be played at Golden West, but wet

field conditions moved it to Coast. The teams’ next matchup will now be

at the Rustlers’ field on March 23.

OCC returns to action, Monday, at Saddleback.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Golden West 6, Orange Coast 1

Golden West 000 022 0 - 6 5 0

Orange Coast 000 010 0 - 1 7 4

Fryslie, Reining (5) and Ibarra; O’Hara, Guillen (4), O’Hara (5),

Guillen (5) and Miles. W - Fryslie, 5-3. L - O’Hara, 2-2. 2B - Fryslie

(GW).