College Roundup: OCC sweeps L.A. Pierce

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Orange Coast def. Los Angeles Pierce

Gianluca Grasso had 10 kills and 11 digs to lead the Pirates to a 25-16, 25-21, 25-15 nonconference win on Friday.

Adrian Faitalia added six kills and six digs, while Jordan Hoppe chipped in with eight kills for OCC (7-1).

Setters Andrew McCall and Sean Keyes each had 18 assists for the Pirates.

L.A. Pierce fell to 2-6.

OCC opens Pacific Coast Conference play at home on Wednesday against Irvine Valley at 6 p.m.

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Stanford def. UC Irvine

Marty Ross and Kyle Russell paced UCI with nine kills each, but No. 3-ranked Stanford won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match, 25-16, 25-16, 27-25, on Friday.

The 13th-ranked Anteaters (4-11, 3-10 in the MPSF) hit .137 (33-20-95) and registered 18 service errors in the loss to the Cardinal (14-2, 12-2).

It was a career-best in kills for Ross who also led the squad with five total blocks. Tucker Pikula added seven kills and a team-high seven digs.

Kevin Rakestraw, a Newport Harbor High product, had a team-best eight kills and five block assists for Stanford.

UCI plays host to No. 10 Pepperdine at the Bren Events Center Saturday at 7 p.m.

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INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships

SEATTLE, Wash. --- Two new UC Irvine indoor records were set Friday on the first day of competition at Dempsey Indoor in Seattle.

Megan George ran 8.54 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries, the sixth-fastest time of the qualifiers advancing to Saturday’s final. Her time is a new UCI record, breaking the previous mark of 8.57 posted by Amber Middleton in 2012.

Dazhana Bauer-Jackson broke her own school record in the weight throw with a mark of 55-10 1/4 (17.02m) to finish 13th of 29 in the competition. Her previous UCI record was 54-1 3/4 set at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque Feb. 12.

Other UCI times in the 60 hurdles included Paige Bushnell in 8.81, Tyra Jones 8.88 and Megan Benson 9.24.

In the 60-meter dash prelims, Persis William-Mensah, an Estancia High product, had UCI’s best time of the day in 7.53 seconds. Taisyn Crutchfield ran 7.69, Jones 7.89, Charity Lyons 7.95 and Bushnell 8.11. None advanced to Saturday’s final.

William-Mensah posted a time of 24.97 in the 200-meter.

Action resumes at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

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BASEBALL

Vanguard 6, San Diego Christian 3

EL CAJON – Senior shortstop Jose Rojas went four for five to lead the visiting No. 22-ranked Lions in the Golden State Athletic Conference game Friday at Grossmont College.

Rojas, who drove in two runs, including one with an RBI triple in the three-run 10th inning, raised his average to .500 in 58 at-bats. Rojas also leads the Lions with 19 RBIs and 10 steals (in 10 attempts).

Sam Neufeld was two for five and scored once, while Brock Eissman drove in two runs for the winners (12-4, 5-2 in conference). Eissman now has 18 RBIs.

Brandon Sandoval and Trai Patrick also drove in runs for the Lions, for whom starting pitcher Sean Isaac struck out 13 in 6 1/3 innings.

Michael Ostrea earned the win, his first of the season, with 2 2/3 scoreless relief innings, while Michael Jordan collected his fourth save.

San Diego Christian is 8-6, 4-3.

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SOFTBALL

Orange Coast 4, Saddleback 2

Anna Marin was two for two with three runs batted in to lead the host Pirates in the Orange Empire Conference game Friday.

Christina Freeman was two for three with a double and a triple. She drove in one and scored two to help OCC improve to 3-7, 2-2 in conference.

Emma Silvestri was two for three and scored once for OCC, for which Montana Reolvink allowed one earned run and five hits in seven innings to improve to 2-3.

OCC did not commit an error and posted an 8-5 advantage in hits over the Gauchos (6-6, 2-2).

It’s the second straight win for OCC, which won at Golden West, 4-0, on Wednesday.