Pirates win with muscle

COSTA MESA — Orange Coast College second baseman Ryan Dunn got his team out of a jam by executing the hidden ball trick with two outs and runners on second and third base in the fourth inning Tuesday.

But it was the Pirates impressive hitting display that was most effective in obscuring plenty of sloppiness in their 11-8 nonconference win in the season opener for both teams at OCC.

“Ugly, but we’ll take it,” said OCC Coach John Altobelli, who praised his offense’s 15-hit barrage, but acknowledged his team has much to improve upon.

“We’ve been practicing sloppy and it showed in the game,” said Altobelli, who saw his team commit four errors that led to three unearned runs.

OCC pitchers walked five, hit two batters and made two throwing errors, both on pickoff throws.

“I was disappointed with the pitching,” Altobelli said. “We knew they were taking the first pitch and we couldn’t throw strike one.

“But, I thought the offense was really good today. Even when we didn’t capitalize on scoring chances early, we didn’t panic. We kept stinging the ball.”

OCC received at least one hit from eight spots in the order, at least two hits from six players, led by returning All-American Drew Hillman. The sophomore third baseman was three for five with three RBIs, including a triple over the center fielder’s head during a two-run fifth that helped the hosts erase a 5-3 deficit.

Sophomore left fielder Ryan Sheeks also drove in three, including a two-run single in a five-run eighth. He doubled, was hit by a pitch and scored twice.

First baseman Beck Wheeler, shortstop Brett Wallach and catcher D.J. Arellano were all two for four with an RBI, while center fielder Mykal Stokes was two for four.

Freshman designated hitter Scott Stidham also had an RBI.

OCC starting pitcher Kyle Krogman blanked the Mounties for three innings, but four well-placed singles led to three Mt. SAC runs in the fourth, wiping away a 3-0 lead OCC seized in the first inning.

The visitors took a 5-3 lead in the fifth, but reliever Brett Williams, a sophomore transfer from Loyola Marymount, did not allow a hit in the sixth and seventh innings, allowing OCC to pull ahead with a single tally in the seventh, courtesy of a Hillman single after Sheeks had doubled and advanced on Dunn’s sacrifice bunt.

Wallach, who had 10 saves last season, but is expected to be the Pirates top starter as a sophomore, worked the ninth, walking two, hitting another and allowing a hit. Shortstop Dunn droppped a two-out pop-up that led to two unearned runs and a little prolonged drama for the winners for one more out.

“It took a little while to close it out, but it was nice to get the win right off the bat,” said Hillman, who has signed with UC Irvine. “We’ve got to clean it up a little bit, but scoring 11 runs always helps.”

Altobelli agreed.

“Pitching will pick up our offense on another day,” Altobelli said. “But I’d rather have an ugly win than a pretty loss.”

Nonconference

Orange Coast 11, Mt. SAC 8

SCORE BY INNINGS

Youngdale, McGeary (5), Diaz (6), Chavarria (8) and Carrillo; Krogman, Williams (4), Abrams (8), Wallach (9) and Arellano, Berryhill (9). W – Williams, 1-0. L – Diaz, 0-1. 2B – Wallach (OCC), Sheeks (OCC). 3B – Hillman (OCC).

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.