Pirates pound El Camino

* MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: Freshman outside hitter Poyer Poia pounded out

13 kills and added 10 digs to lead Orange Coast to a 30-24, 34-32,

30-20 victory over visiting El Camino Wednesday afternoon in

interconference play on the OCC campus.

The win puts the Pirates at 6-1 overall, including a 3-0 mark

against teams from the South Coast Conference. Poia got things going

early on in the first game, collecting a pair of kills in the opening

moments as the teams traded points. The trend continued up through a

10-10 tie before the Bucs bean to take charge. Levi Luster recorded

back-to-back putaways, then Poia had two more after a service error

for a 14-12 lead.

The Pirates continued to milk their cushion, but stepped up the

pressure at 19-16 to put the game away. After a service error made it

20, Luster fired two more kill while Matt Skolnik added a service ace

for a 24-17 advantage.

Game 2 was a struggle for the defending Orange Empire Conference

champions, but a pair of late substitutions changed the momentum in

favor of the Pirates. Coach Chuck Cutenese inserted Setiam Allah and

David Doxey into the game with the Bucs trailing, 15-10, changing up

the feel of the offense. The five-point advantage carried through to

24-19, but the Coast offense was beginning to find its rhythm.

Paul Pomroy collected back-to-back kills after a Warriors’ service

error, then combined with Allah on a block to tie the game at 24.

Allah smashed home the first of his five kills on the following

point, then the Warriors were in the net for a 26-24 lead, the first

Coast edge in the game since 2-1.

Doxey and Mike Murphy combined to dish out 47 assists to lead the

Coast offense. Allah had a pair of blocks off the bench while Skolnik

tossed in seven digs.

Pirates survive, 8-7

* BASEBALL: Orange Coast College survived a scare but held on to

defeat host Palomar, 8-7, in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday.

OCC (8-4-1) allowed a two-run home run in the ninth, but reliever

Bryan Jackson retired the next three hitters to seal the win.

Jeff Piaskowski’s pinch-hit two-run home run in the sixth provided

a spark to the Pirate offense.

OCC led, 5-0, at the end of six innings, but Palomar took

advantage of five walks and two errors to plate four runs in the

seventh to inch closer, 6-5.

A sacrifice fly by Kyle Stanley and a passed ball gave Coast its

seventh and eighth runs in the eighth inning.

Pirate starter Mike Farias went his scheduled three innings,

striking out three and walking none. Jason Crissman also went three

innings, striking out three with no walks.

Second baseman Ben Hanna went 2 for 3 with two runs scored while

Greg Benoit posted a 2 for 3 mark at the plate. Ryan Mathes went 2

for 5 with one RBI for Coast, who opens Orange Empire Conference play

Feb. 27 at home against Saddleback at 2 p.m.

*--*

Nonconference

OCC 8, Palomar 7

Score by Innings

OCC 300 002 120 -- 8 9 2

Palomar 000 001 402 -- 7 13 2

Farias, Crissman (4), Johnson (7), Boyd

(7), Hart (7), Jackson (9) and Hicks;

Ramos, Cummings (4), Garcia (7), Meyers

(9) and Robinson. W -- Farias, 2-0. L --

Robertson. 2B -- Robertson (Pal). HR --

Piaskowski (OCC), Ramos (Pal)

*--*

Gauchos sweep OCC

* BASKETBALL: Orange Coast College’s mens and women’s basketball

teams were dealt defeats by visiting Saddleback Wednesday night in

Orange Empire Conference play.

The women’s team dropped a 64-55 decision, and the men’s team was

a 77-57 loser to Saddleback.

Coast’s women, led by Liz Mendoza’s 18 points, fell to 25-6, 10-3

in the OEC as Saddleback, the OEC champion, improved to 27-2, 13-0.

The men’s team, led by Lanier Brown’s 14 points, fell to 19-12,

7-6 in the OEC. Saddleback, the OEC kingpin, improved to 24-6, 13-0.

*--*

OEC men

Saddleback 77, OCC 57

Saddleback -- Bell 4, Pak 15, Sievers 4, Crane 23, Merrells 2,

Griffin 4, Peterson 5, Hall 6, Hardwick 4, Bigler 10. 3-pt. goals --

Pak 2, Crane 2, Bigler 2. Fouled out -- none. Technicals -- none.

Orange Coast -- Seales 9, James 2, Brown 14, Peppers 2, Alexander 1,

Vakili 0, A. Bobik 11, Garey 11, B. Bobik 5, Hatch 2, Shaheim 0.

3-pt. goals -- A. Bobik 3, Garey 3, Seales 1. Fouled out -- none.

Technicals -- none. Halftime -- 34-34

*--*

*--*

OEC women

Saddleback 64, OCC 55

Saddleback -- Dawson 6, Woods 11, Goodman 8, Iglehart17, Eszlinger

13, Peloza 7, Hooper 2. 3-pt. goals -- Dawson 2, Eszlinger 2, Peloza

1, Iglehart 1. Fouled out -- none. Technicals -- none. Orange Coast

-- Hatsushi 8, Galasso 10, Murray 8, Mendoza 18, Quiroz 0, Shaw 5,

Von Tungeln 4, Carrillo 2. 3-pt. goals -- Mendoza 2, Hatsushi 1,

Galasso 1, Shaw 1. Fouled out -- none. Technicals -- none. Halftime

-- Saddleback, 38-31

*--*

One win, two losses

* MEN’S GOLF: The Orange Coast College men’s golf team opened

Orange Empire Conference play Wednesday in a four-team match, going

1-2.

The Pirates (3-2, 1-2 in the OEC) shot 392 to beat Cypress (400),

but fell to first-place Saddleback (384) and Santiago Canyon (386).

Santiago Canyon’s Ryan Bohning shot 70 on the par-72 course at

Santa Ana Country Club to attain medalist honors.

Jake Allanach led Coast with an even-par 72, registering 12 pars

with three birdies while taking 29 putts. David Kendall (74), Kelly

Wicks (77), Ryan Peaslee (84) and Brad Champion (85) finished the

scoring for Coast.