Baseball: Swindell ties OCC hitters in knots

COSTA MESA - The Orange Coast College baseball team, facing Orange

Empire Conference-leading Riverside Community College, was held in check

Saturday afternoon by sophomore right-hander Mike Swindell, who pitched a

complete-game six-hitter as the Tigers defeated host OCC, 8-3.

The Tigers, who improved to 16-1 in conference action, had eight hits,

but six went for extra bases, including a first-inning home run by

catcher Luis Robles, who launched a 1-2 changeup over the left-field

fence to give Riverside its early 2-0 lead.

The Pirates (24-8, 9-7 in the OEC) came back with a run in the bottom

of the first as leadoff hitter Chris Sinner doubled and scored on Donnie

Murphy’s single to center field.

Murphy also hit a two-run home run, his 12th blast of the season, in

the sixth inning to pull Orange Coast within a run, but Riverside rallied

for four runs in the eighth to break it open.

Swindell struck out five and walked two, while OCC starter Matt

Clanton pitched 7 1/3 innings, striking out 10, walking four and hitting

two batters. Clanton fell to 5-3.

Orange Coast threatened in the third inning, when it had runners at

the corners with one out, but Murphy hit into an inning-ending double

play -- one of two turned by the Tigers.

Orange Coast will face Riverside again on Tuesday at Riverside, then

play Santa Ana at home Thursday and on the road Saturday.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Riverside 8, Orange Coast 3

Riverside 201 100 040 - 8 8 1

Orange Coast 100 002 000 - 3 6 2

Swindell and Robles; Clanton, Southerland (8), Murdy (8) and Hanson. W

- Swindell. L - Clanton, 5-3. 2B - Rodriguez (R), Blumenthal (R), Robles

(R), Hilt (R), McCarthy (R), Sinner (OC). HR - Robles (R), Murphy (OC).