Pirates back on track

Center fielder Scott Cho threw a strike to catcher Blake Hugaert, who tagged out a runner trying to score from second on a single to end IVC's third inning. And Wobrock went to a knee with a backhand stab deep in the hole, then rose and threw crisply to first to rob a Laser of a hit to open the IVC sixth.

Offensively, OCC overcame some ineffective situational hitting by bashing 15 hits. They strung together four straight singles in the second inning and a Trent Woodward double was followed by singles from Matt Moynihan and Jordan Beck in the third.

Beck went four for five with a double and one RBI, while sophomore third baseman Colton Hamill was two for four with three RBIs to lead an OCC attack that had five players produce at least two hits.

Wobrock was two four five with one RBI, while Moynihan and Woodward went two for four and two for five, respectively. Moynihan scored three times.

Freshman left fielder Chris Carlson had a single and drove in a run, while Chavez and Cho added hits for the winners. Cho and Carlson also had two walks apiece.

The win halted a two-game losing streak for OCC, which has lost three of its previous four.

"Every win is a big win in this conference," said Altobelli, who indicated that freshman Chad Thompson, a highly touted, 6-foot-8 right-hander who has not allowed a run in five innings, spanning three relief appearances since returning from Tommy John surgery, will start Thursday's OEC game against visiting Riverside.

"We're going to have him on a pitch limit and we'll see what happens," said Altobelli, who will also have plenty of talented arms waiting in the wings.

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Orange Empire Conference

Orange Coast 9, Irvine Valley 5

SCORE BY INNINGS

OCC 023 100 102 – 9 15 4

IVC 004 000 100 – 5 7 4

Smith, Vandernaald (3), Evans (8) and Hugaert; Fitzgerald, Alva (4), Zimarik (9) and Williams. W – Vandernaald, 5-0. L – Fitzgerald, 3-2. Sv – Evans (5). 2B – Chavez (OCC), Woodward (OCC), Beck (OCC), Williams (IVC). 3B – Leskinski (IVC), Williams (IVC).