OCC gets ousted by Bear Cubs

It took just three pitches for Santa Rosa College to earn a 2-0 lead,

en route to a 12-2 victory over Orange Coast in the elimination game

of the baseball state championship tournament Sunday at Fresno City

College.

After a flyout, the Bear Cubs’ Omar Padilla singled to left. Then

sophomore first baseman Stephan Pearson belted OCC starter Ryan

Clear’s next pitch over the fence for a two-run homer and the rout

was on.

Santa Rosa (30-14 heading into Saturday night’s lose’s bracket

final in the fourt-team, double elimination event) added a single run

in the second, four in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the

eighth to overwhelm the Pirates.

OCC (29-18), making its first state final four appearance since

1993, produced single runs in the first and fourth.

Sophomore shortstop Matt Cline led off the first for the

designated hosts with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by

sophomore first baseman Robbie Blauer.

Sophomore catcher Josh Banda singled Cline home to help the Orange

Empire Conference co-champions cut into the lead.

In the OCC fourth, freshman third baseman Gary Gattis singled with

one out and took second on a throwing error. One out later, Gattis’

aggressive base running allowed him to score from second when

sophomore center fielder Stephen Cope beat out a chopper over the

mound, which the shortstop fielded and threw late to first.

Banda and Cline both went 2 for 4 to key OCC’s nine-hit attack.

Padilla went 5 for 6 and Pearson went 3 for 4 with six RBIs for

Santa Rosa, which pounded out 16 hits against four pitchers.

Will Morgan, who came on in relief in the third inning for Santa

Rosa, worked 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory. He gave up four

hits, one unearned run and struck out nine.

State championships

Elimination game

Santa Rosa 12,

Orange Coast 2

Score by Innings

*--*

SR 3 1 0 0 3 2 0 3 0 - 12 16 1

OCC 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 9 1

*--*

Fox, Morgan (3) and Schmidt; Clear, Haderlein (5), Gagne (6), S.

Brown (8) and Banda. W -- Morgan, 7-4. L -- Clear, 5-4. 2B -- Pearson

(SR), Schmidt (SR), Durkin (SR), Banda (OCC). HR -- Pearson (SR).