OCC on track to state finals

COSTA MESA — To get to the top in any baseball postseason, sometimes a team has to rely on the bottom. The bottom of the batting order, that is.

Such was the case for Orange Coast College Saturday, when the Pirates used a combined seven runs batted in from its final three spots in the order to post an 11-3 triumph over Cypress in a Southern California Super Regional at OCC.

The win helped OCC (33-13) advance to today’s championship game at noon against Mt. San Jacinto, also at OCC. The Pirates need just one win to advance to the four-team state tournament next weekend. Should OCC lose today’s first game, the teams would immediately play a deciding second game in the double-elimination format.

Sophomore catcher DJ Arellano, who batted eighth, was two for three with a three-run double that capped a 10-run fifth inning for the winners.

Freshman second baseman Alfonzo Torres, who batted ninth, helped ignite the rally, which broke a 1-1 deadlock. He doubled with the bases loaded to give the hosts a 3-1 edge.

Freshman right fielder Scott Hong, batting seventh, singled in a run to open the scoring in the second inning and added a second RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.

The double-digit fifth frame, in which the first nine OCC hitters all reached base, helped starting pitcher Brett Wallach cruise to his ninth win in 10 decisions this season. But Wallach, the Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year and the Pirates’ cleanup hitter, went hitless in four at-bats.

The rest of the order had at least one hit, but none of those batting in the first six positions in the OCC order had more than one hit or more than one RBI.

“We’ve got to use the whole lineup to put up runs,” said Arellano, who also doubled in the eighth and walked in the prolific fifth. “Sometimes, our big guys don’t have a good day, so we’ve got to pick them up. That’s what it’s about: picking each other up. Not everybody is going to be up to their best every day. [Today], I might go [hitless], and somebody else has got to pick me up. We do a pretty good job of that.”

Arellano, with 23 RBIs, primarily from the No. 9 spot, has been picking up his teammates all season. But the 5-foot-5 Torres, inserted in the lineup in place of sophomore Ryan Dunn, who had been struggling lately, had just four RBIs in 64 at-bats this season before Saturday.

“I’ve just been waiting for my chance and I’m happy I got it,” said Torres, who is now two for six in two Super Regional starts, including Friday’s 13-8 win over Saddleback. “It definitely feels good to contribute. I couldn’t be happier.”

Wallach struck out seven in seven innings, surrendering 11 hits and three earned runs.

Sophomore Brett Williams pitched two scoreless relief innings, striking out two and allowing just one hit.

Friday, it was sophomore starter Chris Licon — whose 6 2/3 shutout innings extended a dominant string in which he has allowed just two earned runs in his last 29 1/3 innings — and Williams who carried the pitching load.

“So far [in the four-team Super Regional], we’ve had some great starting pitching and, obviously, some timely hitting,” said OCC Coach John Altobelli, who though serving a suspension for the rest of the season due to too many ejections, was on hand to credit his players afterward.

“It’s going to be a fight [today],” Altobelli said. “Nothing is easy, but, hopefully, our guys will be rested and ready to go. Obviously, I like our chances.”

Arellano also was happy to avoid a second game by winning the winner’s bracket clash Saturday.

“That’s the way we like it,” he said. “You win one game a day and you get to have a nice meal, relax and save your legs.”

Southern California Super Regional

Orange Coast 11, Cypress 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Garcia, Garrett (5), Treybig (5), Bray (7) and Berberet; Wallach, Williams (8) and Arellano. W – Wallach, 9-1. L – Garcia, 5-6. 2B – Leon (C) 2, Kungl (C), Torres (OCC), Morales (C), Arellano (OCC) 2.