Pirates handled byVikings

COSTA MESA ? Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli is in search of some new heroes; at least until sold old ones return to the lineup.

The Pirates, hampered by what Altobelli called a “boatload of injuries,” fell to visiting Long Beach City, 5-1, in a nonconference game Sunday.

“We need to start spreading the wealth and finding some other heroes from day to day,” said Altobelli, in his 14th season at the Pirates’ helm.

Despite the injury problems ? including outfielders Matt Meadows, Steve Lajkowicz and Keith Mastel (all hamstring ailments), pitcher Kyle Harper (arm tendinitis), shortstop Garret DeGrazio (sore fingers) and center fielder Gary Gattis (just back from a broken hand) ? the Pirates completed their preconference schedule at 12-4.

OCC, which last year won the program’s first Orange Empire Conference championship since 1987, opens conference play Thursday at home against Fullerton at 2 p.m.

Altobelli said Meadows is likely out for another month, while Harper and Lajkowicz may be sidelined the first week of conference play. Altobelli expects the others battling injuries to be back this week.

Long Beach freshman pitcher Randy Serrato added offense to the list of OCC ailments Sunday. Serrato, a side-arming right-hander, threw a complete-game five-hitter to even his record at 2-2 and help the Vikings improve to 12-5.

It was his first complete game of the season for Serrato, who struck out four and got 17 of the remaining 23 outs on ground balls.

“He did a good job keeping the ball down, but I don’t think we did a good job of being patient and getting our pitch,” Altobelli said.

OCC starter Kevin Stedman allowed one hit through three innings, before some two-out wildness helped the Vikings score five in the fourth.

After a ledoff single, Stedman, who entered with a 3-0 record, struck out two. But he then hit a batter and walked two to force in the tying run. Ryan Averkieff followed with a triple to right-center field and A.J. Bancroft singled to cap the outburst.

Gattis, who had four hits in the Pirates’ win Saturday over El Camino, went 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead the hosts Sunday. He singled in Jason Schmidt in the second for the Pirates’ only run.

Josh Bradbury, a freshman out of Corona del Mar High, Schmidt and Stephen Schneider also had hits for OCC.

Ryan Eccles, Steven Brown and Mark Haderlein all threw scoreless relief innings for OCC.