Community college baseball: Azze tames the Hornets

FULLERTON - Justin Azze, the Orange Coast College baseball team’s

ace, displayed control, while the Pirates pounded out 12 hits, leading to

a 5-1 Orange Empire Conference mini-tourney victory over host Fullerton

Thursday.

Azze, a sophomore left-hander, retired the first 12 batters. He

finished with eight strikeouts, no walks, and scattered five hits,

improving his record to 8-4. OCC freshman shortstop Donnie Murphy went 4

for 5, while Ryan Hanson (2 for 4 with two RBIs), Chris Sinner (2 for 4

with two runs scored) and Greg Benoit (2 for 4) also contributed to the

victory.

Coast sophomore Ryan Marcos slammed a solo home run in the sixth,

while sophomore Jared Lewis also crushed a solo shot in the eighth.

The Pirates (29-11, 14-9 in the OEC) moved into a tie for second in

the conference with Santa Ana, which lost to Golden West, 9-2, Wednesday.

Coast will host Santa Ana today at 2:30 p.m. in a battle for second

place to close out the conference season. Fullerton dropped to 6-17 in

the OEC.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Orange Coast 5, Fullerton 1

Orange Coast 100 111 010 - 5 12 0 Fullerton 000 000 100 - 1 5 1

Azze and Hanson; Ortiz and Morales. W - Azze, 8-4. L - Ortiz. 2B -

Sinner (OCC), Murphy (OCC), Marcos (OCC), Hanson (OCC), Benoit (OCC),

Morales (F). HR - Hanson (OCC), Lewis (OCC).