Community college baseball: Pirates outlast Chargers in 12, 9-8
Steve Virgen
CYPRESS - Victory No. 9 on the Orange Coast College baseball team’s
winning streak came with wild dramatics: A 12-inning game that featured
prolific pitching from OCC sophomore Matt Clanton, redeeming efforts from
sophomore Glenn Hedgpeth and a controversial call, leading to the
Pirates’ 9-8 win over Orange Empire Conference host Cypress Saturday.
“Just another typical Orange Empire game,” OCC Coach John Altobelli
said.
The Pirates (23-7, 7-5 in the OEC) lost a 7-0 lead when the Chargers
(21-10, 7-6) rallied with two runs in the eighth inning and five runs in
the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. Cypress could have ended
the game in the ninth, but an umpire’s call might have prevented that.
After Cypress freshman Jeff Tuttle crushed a three-run home run on
Hedgpeth’s 1-2 pitch to bring the Chargers to within, 7-6, Jose Rodriguez
chipped a grounder to OCC shortstop Donnie Murphy. Rodriguez looked to
have beat out the throw to first, but the home plate umpire, who was the
game’s lone official, called him out for the Chargers’ second out.
Cypress Coach Scott Pickler challenged the call, but to no avail.
Charger freshman Matt Fry, on the ensuing at-bat, came up and slammed
a solo shot over the right-center field fence to tie the score. Fry was
ejected from the game for a remark he made to the umpire when crossing
the plate. Pickler said Fry’s comments related to the controversial call.
“There was no doubt, (Rodriguez) was safe,” Pickler said. “That was a
crazy game. It’s sad that you have two good teams and it comes down to an
umpire who doesn’t show up and you lose a ball game. It’s not fair to the
kids.”
OCC sophomore pitcher Justin Azze, who was credited with the win,
scored a run in the 10th inning on Chris Sinner’s RBI double. But the
Chargers answered, scoring a run with two outs because of an error by
Hedgpeth.
However, Hedgpeth, who pounded a three-run home run in the fourth and
a two-run shot in the eighth, came up with another RBI in the 12th, that
gave the Pirates’ the winning margin. His line-drive base hit over second
base scored pinch hitter Joe Morrison, who reached on an infield single,
moved to second on Ryan Hanson’s sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on
a passed ball.
Chip Southerland, an OCC sophomore right-handed pitcher, picked up the
save after inducing Tuttle to hit into a 6-4-3 (Murphy to Jake Garcia to
Hedgpeth) double play and then Rodriguez popped to center field where
Jeremy Lahmann gloved the final out.
“He had an off day,” Altobelli said of Hedgpeth, who collected his
fourth and fifth home runs of the season, yet allowed five runs and two
home runs when he pitched in the ninth. “He hasn’t been playing a whole
lot. He’s had good batting practices and has been working on things. We
got him in the lineup and he did a great job. Unfortunately, he kicked
the ball at first base (in the 10th) and gave up runs. (But) he got a
chance there to redeem himself.”
Hedgpeth’s heroics helped Clanton’s pitching performance remain as a
reason for the Pirates’ victory. Clanton, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound
right-hander, pitched seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts,
allowing just one hit. But, he grew tired in the eighth, allowed two runs
and two hits, and then he faced one batter in the ninth before leaving.
“This team is starting to find themselves,” Altobelli said of the
Pirates, who are in third place in the OEC and resume action Tuesday at
2:30 p.m. at Irvine Valley.ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE
Orange Coast 9, Cypress 8
Orange Coast 000 500 020 101 - 9 11 2
Cypress 000 000 025 100 - 8 9 1
Clanton, Hedgpeth (9), Azze (9), Southerland (12) and Hanson; Hall,
Greenwalt (5), Casarez (8), Rodriguez (9) Sterry (10) and Hansen,
Rodriguez (7), Garcia (9), Rodriguez (10). W - Azze, 5-2. L - Sterry,
2-3. Sv - Southerland. 2B - Sinner (OCC), Kungl (C). HR - Hedgpeth (OCC)
2, Fry (C), Tuttle (C).
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