Chargers extended by Pirates

CYPRESS ? The season came to a close for the Orange Coast College baseball team Sunday, but not quite as quickly as most expected.

The Pirates, who dropped the first game of a best-of-three Southern California Regional playoff series at Cypress, ranked No. 1 in the state, 20-7, Friday, won the morning game Saturday, 2-1, to force a deciding third game.

But Cypress (37-9), earned a 6-0 victory to advance to the Super Regional that begins Friday.

OCC freshman right-hander Keith Demorgandie helped the Pirates extend the series, throwing a complete-game five-hitter to improve to 8-3. He struck out six and walked two, blanking the Chargers after surrendering an earned run in the first inning.

Demorgandie retired the final 11 he faced and 16 of the last 17 in his first complete game of the season.

The Pirates tied the score in the fourth when Josh Bradbury led off with a single, stole second, went to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a groundout by Chris Lum.

In the sixth, Eric Oliver reached on an infield error and Bradbury, a Corona del Mar High product, walked. Oliver went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Matt Meadows.

Sophomore Danny Gonzales and freshman shortstop Nick Rotkowitz each had two hits for the Pirates in the morning game.

Cypress’ Nick Rhodes, a CdM High product, pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the morning game, allowing one hit and striking out one.

In the deciding game, Cypress sophomore right-hander Wes Etheridge took a no-hitter into the fifth, when Rotkowitz singled, the first of his two hits.

Lum also had two hits for the Pirates (24-23), who were attempting to advance to the four-team state championship tournament for the second consecutive season.

Cypress sophomore Mike Vass, who also doubled in both games, hit his 12th home run of the season to help fuel the Chargers’ 11-hit attack in the deciding game.