Orange Coast cashes out big against Comets

Bryce Alderton

In the eighth inning of Tuesday’s nonconference baseball game against

visiting Palomar College, Orange Coast College looked more like the

team on a five-game winning streak instead of a two-game losing skid.

The Pirates, losers of four of their last five coming in,

benefited from a home run, three hit batters and two errors to plate

seven runs in the eighth inning and finalize a 10-7, come-from-behind

victory.

Five of the runs in the eighth came with two outs, including

sophomore Jeff Piaskowksi’s second home run of the game -- a solo

shot to left which cut the Palomar lead to 7-6. Backup catcher Dustin

Hicks, who added a solo home run in the seventh, then singled up the

middle. Jarrod Carchio and Luke Beck were each hit by a pitch to load

the bases and Matt Cline drew a walk to tie the game.

Tyler Shaffer, who had already singled and scored in the inning,

reached on a catcher’s interference call, bringing in Beck for what

turned out to be the game-winning run. Jarrod Carchio and Cline both

scored on Keith Mastel’s grounder that ended in a throwing error,

giving Coast all it would need to secure the win.

“It was good to see the team show some heart,” said Piaskowski,

who has hit three home runs this season -- all solo blasts. “Lately

we’ve had trouble putting the ball in play. We had been pressing on

offense and weren’t able to get runners across. Luckily, [the Comets]

kicked a few balls and we got some good breaks.”

The Comets (5-3) limited the Pirates to five hits and three runs

through the first seven innings, helping build a 7-3 lead.

Right-handed starter Brandon Adams went five innings, allowing two

runs on three hits and no walks.

But a wild Palomar bullpen in the eighth -- three hit batters and

one walk -- gave Coast the fuel to keep its rally alive.

“It you don’t play catch, you don’t win,” Palomar Coach Bob Vettel

said. “We didn’t make the plays and didn’t execute.”

Palomar had runners at first and second with no outs in the top of

the ninth, but Coast closer Ryan Clear struck out Tyler Wightman

swinging and got Shane Thompson to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to

notch his second save of the season.

Thompson provided the big blow in a three-run eighth for Palomar,

brining in two runs with a single to right field. But Coast’s Bryan

Jackson (1-0) got the final two outs in the inning, including Dylan

Parzyk’s foul out to third with the bases loaded.

Left-hander Steven Johns allowed three runs in six innings,

striking out seven and walking four. Johns, who stands 6-foot-3,

fooled hitters by mixing fastballs with nasty changeups that often

caught the corners of the plate.

“We know he is going to give us a quality start every time,” OCC

Coach John Altobelli said. “But he threw way too many pitches [94].”

Four Coast players tallied two hits apiece, including Shaffer,

Piaskowski, Hicks and Beck. Mastel and Piaskowski each had two RBIs

while Shaffer, Piaskowski and Hicks each scored twice.

“We put the ball in play and did the little things to execute,”

Altobelli said. “We are trying to take a good mental approach to

hitting.”

Coast took a 1-0 lead into the top of the third, when Palomar

scored three times to take its first advantage.

Piaskowski’s first home run -- also to left field -- cut the Comet

lead to 3-2 in the fourth. He said both home runs came on fastballs,

pitches he was waiting on.

“Lately my goal has been a hit a game and, luckily, both were home

runs,” Piaskowski said. “The ball is looking big right now.”

With a young team, Piaskowski said Tuesday’s win could go a long

way.

“It gives us more confidence to get the job done and knowing that

we have it in us,” he said.

Coast travels to St. George, Utah, for games Thursday and Friday

against Dixie College (11-1).

*--*

Nonconference

Orange Coast 10, Palomar 7

Score by Innings

Pal 003 000 130 -- 7 11 5

OCC 100 100 17x -- 10 10 0

Adams, Goset (6), Thomson (8), Murphy

(8) and Hernandez and Parzyk; John,

Farias (7), Jackson (8), Clear (9) and

Hazen, Hicks (7). W -- Jackson, 1-0. L

-- Thomson, 0-1. Save -- Clear (2). 2B

-- Shaffer (OCC). 3B -- Garcia (Pal).

HR -- Piaskowski (OCC) 2, Hicks (OCC).

*--*