Baseball: Murphy’s three-run homer wins it for Bucs

COSTA MESA - They say it’s always more fun to come from behind and

win, and, if that baseball maxim is true, the Orange Coast College

Pirates are probably still dancing in the streets of Costa Mesa.

In the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday, OCC freshman shortstop

Donnie Murphy slugged a game-winning, three-run home run as the hosts

Pirates rallied to defeat Orange Empire Conference and district rival

Golden West, 7-6.

Murphy’s walk-off dinger, only OCC’s second extra-base hit of the

game, epitomized the Pirates’ topsy-turvy campaign, in which the Bucs

(27-11, 12-9 in the OEC) surrendered four runs in the bottom of the ninth

Tuesday at Golden West as the Rustlers came back for an 8-7 victory.

Orange Coast freshman left-hander Kyle Allen picked up the win in

relief, improving to 3-0. OCC starter Matt Clanton, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound

sophomore pro prospect, was relieved in the third by Greg Schwenn, who

was followed by Jimmey Treece, Glenn Hedgpeth and Allen. The Pirates

outhit the Rustlers, 11-10.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Orange Coast 7, Golden West 6

Score by Innings

Golden West 001 010 031 - 6 10 0

Orange Coast 000 010 103 - 7 11 0

Hochensans, Needham (8), Foxman (9) and Bates; Clanton, Schwenn (3),

Treece (7), Hedgpeth (8), Allen (9) and Hanson. W - Allen, 3-0. L -

Foxman. 2B - Brown (GW), Hanson (OC). HR - Bursett (GW), Carcy (GW),

Murphy (OC).