Community College Baseball:

SANTA ANA — The Orange Coast College baseball team failed to deliver a knockout blow early and the Pirates paid for it as Santa Ana rallied from a six-run deficit to win, 8-7, on Saturday at Santa Ana College.

Costly baserunning mistakes early and erratic defense late proved to be too much to overcome for the Pirates (14-13, 6-7 in the Orange Empire Conference). Santa Ana (21-7, 11-2) responded to its 6-0 deficit with three runs in the fifth, three runs in the seventh and two in the bottom of the ninth.

After struggling to find runs over their last two games, the Pirates busted out of the gates early, scoring six runs on 10 hits over the first five innings. However, four OCC baserunners were thrown out — two at second, one at third and one at the plate — which allowed the Dons to stay within striking distance.

“We really had a chance to put the game away early and we failed to do so,” OCC Coach John Altobelli said. “You can’t allow a good team like Santa Ana any chance to come back because they will and today, they did.”

With OCC up, 7-6, Santa Ana used a pair of fielding errors by the Pirates shortstop to put runners on first and third with one out. A stolen base and intentional walk loaded the bases and Dons’ pinch-hitter Justin Parks followed with a ground ball to third, but the throw to second pulled the second baseman off the bag, leaving the bases full and tying the score at 7-7.

T.J. Yasuhara followed with a single through a drawn-in infield, giving the Dons the win.

“That was a rough ninth inning defensively for us, that’s for sure,” Altobelli said. “We just need to have a short-term memory and get back after it on Tuesday against Irvine Valley.”

OCC starter Andy Abrams, who threw a complete-game gem against the Dons March 6 (a 2-1 win for Coast), allowed four earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.

The Santa Ana bullpen held the Pirates to one run on two hits over the final 4 2/3 innings. R.J. Hively pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win and improve to 4-3.

OCC right-hander Kyle Krogman (2-5) took the hard-luck loss after allowing two unearned runs in the ninth.

For the Pirates, Mykal Stokes went two for five with a home run, two runs and a run batted in, Scott Stidham added two hits, a run and two RBIs and Jordan Beck came up with two hits, two runs and an RBI.

— From staff reports