Pirates come down to earth

Big game for Lum isn’t enough for Orange Coast College, which battles back after a slow start.COSTA MESA -- There’s no doubt the Orange Coast College baseball program is on the upswing. Orange Coast won a share of the Orange Empire Conference crown last year for the first time since 1987 and advanced to the four-team state tournament for the first time in 12 seasons. Then the Pirates came out this season and won their first seven games before falling to host Grossmont on Saturday.

Coach John Altobelli, in his 14th season at the helm for Orange Coast, believes he has one of the top squads in the state.

But when the Pirates returned home Tuesday, they came out sluggish. Making mental and physical mistakes early, Orange Coast found themselves five runs behind before mounting a comeback that fell short in its 8-5 loss to College of the Canyons in a nonleague game.

“Today proved we can’t just roll out and expect to win,” Altobelli said. “I think we’re one of the best teams in the state, but the guys weren’t ready to play, they didn’t have intensity today.”

The Cougars (5-7) peppered the Pirates early with singles, stolen bases and perfectly executed sacrifice bunts. Pirate freshman pitcher Jesse Costa didn’t help matters with some untimely wild pitches. By the time he walked his second batter -- with two outs in the top of the fourth inning -- he was replaced by freshman Justin Tucker, who promptly surrendered a run-scoring double before getting out of the jam with the Pirates down, 5-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, with one swing of the bat, Orange Coast’s Chris Lum got his team back in the game. After singles by Eric Oliver and Stephen Schneider, Lum got a fastball up from Cougars’ left-hander Michael McCravey and sent it over the left-center field fence to pull the Pirates to within 5-3.

McCravey, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman whose fastball tails away from right-handed hitters, threw a pitch that started off on the inside corner then moved out over the center of the plate and Lum got all of it to record his first home run of the season.

Lum went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and threw a runner out attempting to steal in the eighth inning.

“He’s a hard-nosed player and he’s been swinging the bat well,” Altobelli said. “We backed him off the plate a bit and I think it’s helped him.”

The Cougars, staving off the Pirates’ comeback attempt, added to the lead with a run in the fifth inning and two in the seventh. College of the Canyons, which tallied 13 hits, led 8-4 going into the bottom of the eighth.

“We had some key two-out, two-strike base hits to get runs,” said College of the Canyons Coach Chris Cota. “We’ve been struggling offensively. This was our first double-digit run producing game.”

The Pirates (7-2) rallied in both the eighth and the ninth innings, pounding out five hits, but could not produce the hit to put them over the top.

With two on and one out, pinch-hitter Keith Mastel roped a run-scoring double down the right-field line in the eighth inning, but freshman pinch-runner Will Oliver, trying to score from first, was called out at home following an awkward headfirst slide.

Nick Rotkowitz, pinch-hitting for Garrett DeGrazio, fell behind 0-and-2 before working a walk out of relief pitcher Kurt Turley. Danny Gonzales came up, representing the tying run, but struck out on three pitches.

Gonzales went 0-for-5, but made a highlight-reel play in the sixth inning, ranging deep in the hole behind second base to flag down a ground ball and throw out Kyle Eveland at first, saving a run in the process.

The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning after singles by Garrett Smith, Bradbury and Oliver, but Matt Meadows (1-for-3, stolen base) grounded into a third-to-home double play and Schneider struck out on a 3-and-2 off-speed pitch from Cougars’ closer Chance Reno to end the game.

Chris Palmer pitched the last two innings for the Pirates, allowing just one hit and striking out the last two batters he faced.

Orange Coast plays host to San Diego City College on Thursday. The Pirates open Orange Empire Conference action on March 2 at home against Fullerton.

Nonconference

College of the Canyons 8,

Orange Coast 5

Score by Innings