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).