Baseball: Pirates’ downward spiral continues

HUNTINGTON BEACH - The Orange Coast College baseball team dropped

its sixth straight game following Tuesday’s 12-6 Orange Empire Conference

loss to host Golden West.

The Rustlers (14-24, 5-15 in conference) exploded for 10 runs in the

first four innings, leaving the Pirates (22-14, 10-10) in the dust.

OCC’s offense managed to put together 15 hits, but four Rustler double

plays helped end numerous threats.

Newport Harbor High grad Scott Beerer went 3 for 5 with a run scored

and an RBI for Orange Coast, while Ryan Marcos added two hits and two

RBIs and Greg Trimble had three hits and a run scored.

The Rustlers were led by Brett Becker (4 for 5, five RBIs) and Grant

Plumley (3 for 5, three runs scored, three RBIs).

It won’t get any easier when the Pirates host conference kingpin Santa

Ana on Thursday, beginning at 2 p.m.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Golden West 12, Orange Coast 5

Orange Coast 000 001 130 - 5 15 2

Golden West 213 400 20x - 12 16 0

Courvoisier, Williams (2), Foxman (3), A. Erickson (4), B. Erickson

(7) and Murphy. Tripoli, DeJardin (6), Brizendine (8) and Saltarelli. W -

Tripoli, 3-5. L - Courvoisier, 3-3. 2B - Marcos (OCC), Trimble (OCC),

Hanson (GWC), Plumley (GWC), Becker (GWC). 3B - Burgett (GWC). HR -

Saltarelli (GWC), Plumley (GWC).