Palomar

BASEBALL Orange Coast 3, Palomar 2 COSTA MESA — Sophomore Chris Carlson went two for four with two runs batted on Tuesday, helping the Pirates' stay unbeaten eight games into the season. Justin Broussard and Eilert Meyers each had two hits for OCC (7-0-1). Jed Vandernaald (3-0) picked up the victory after pitching 4 1/3 innings in relief. He did not allow a run, gave up two hits with no walks and struck out four. The Pirates open a three-game series at the College of the Desert on Thursday at p.m. * WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Vanguard 83, Concordia 76 OT IRVINE — Center Esther Timmermans finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and one block in the Lions' Golden State Athletic Conference game on Tuesday.

COSTA MESA - It may be a little too late in the season to save Coach Travis Turner's ravaged voice, but the Orange Coast College men's volleyball team required little instruction in a dominating Pacific Coast Conference sweep of visiting Palomar on Wednesday. The Pirates (8-4, 5-1 in conference) needed only 60 minutes to conquer the Comets, 25-12, 25-12, 25-21, behind a match-high 12 kills from freshman opposite Dillon Emery and 28 assists from sophomore setter Michael Ensign.

Tony Altobelli SAN DIEGO - The Orange Coast College baseball team could not let an early lead hold up in Wednesday's 10-6 nonconference loss to host Palomar. Leading, 5-1, the Pirates (10-2) gave up six big runs to the Comets and could never recover. Chris Sinner and Glenn Hedgepath each had two hits and two RBIs for the Pirates, while Jonathan Smith went 3 for 4. OCC will host Treasure Valley on Friday, beginning at noon. NONCONFERENCE Palomar 10, Orange Coast 6 Orange Coast 020 300 001 - 6 12 2 Palomar 100 610 02x -10 13 1 A. Erickson, Foxman (4)

When: Today, 1 p.m. Where: Escondido High Key Pirates: So. DE Dean DeLeone (63 tackles, 12 for loss, eight sacks); So. QB Taylor Hughes (127 for 214 passing for 1,733 yards with 13 TDs and nine interceptions); So. WR Cameron Hall (37 catches, 588 yards, 3 TDs). Key Comets: Fr. WR Paul Moore (32 catches, 268 yards, 4 TDs); Fr. WR Martavious Lee (27 catches, 474 yards, nine TDs). Breakdown: The Pirates (4-4, 0-4 in the National Division) have lost four straight, virtually knocking them out of bowl consideration ... Palomar is 6-3, 2-3 and is wrapping up its regular season ... OCC is ranked No. 11 in Southern California and No. 24 in the state, while Palomar is No. 12 in the state and No. 7 in SoCal ... Palomar is last in the seven-team division in total defense (allowing 376.8 yards per game)

COSTA MESA — While the bitter pill of defeat continued to occupy the palette of his teammates, Orange Coast College quarterback Kyle Manning was more likely to have swallowed dozens of rubber pellets kicked up by his frequent contact with the FieldTurf surface Saturday against visiting Palomar. Battered and bruised by more than a dozen hits in the pocket, most of which he barely had time to brace against as he stood in and delivered the ball, Manning will have more than a tender psyche on which to receive treatment after a 41-9 National Division football bashing at the hands of the Comets.

Fresh off their 5-1 victory over 14th-seed Glendale Tuesday, the Orange Coast College women's soccer team (20-1-2) gets set to face its next opponent in the Southern California Regional playoffs. The Bucs will battle 11th-seeded Palomar (16-5-1), who beat sixth-seeded Cuyamaca Tuesday, in a second-round matchup at OCC at noon Saturday. "They've earned my respect and we're not going to take them lightly," said OCC Coach Barbara Bond a day following Coast's first-round win. Palomar and third-seeded OCC had met in recent years in nonconference play, but not this season.

The take-home tests are over. Now is the time for the real studying to begin for the Orange Coast College football team. There will not be any more Comptons — a 26-0 victim Sept. 9 — nor any Santa Barbaras — a 39-7 Pirates victory Sept. 2 — on the schedule the remainder of the season. It will only be Mission Conference foes the rest of the way for Orange Coast, which plays host to Palomar today at 5 p.m. The 12 conference teams enter today with a combined record of 19-5.

COSTA MESA — Gustavo Ibarra stood on the sidelines late in the first half Tuesday, eager to get back into the action. The Orange Coast College freshman forward had already done plenty, scoring two goals in what would end up being a 3-0 nonconference win over visiting Palomar. But Ibarra turned to OCC men’s soccer trainer Glenn Strachan, ensuring him that he was ready to go do some more damage. “I got a little winded,” the freshman from La Quinta said, before flashing a smile.

COSTA MESA - The Orange Coast College women's tennis team defeated visiting Palomar, 8-1, in nonconference action Thursday afternoon. Sandra McNamara and Merin Yoshida each lost only two games in their singles' wins. Then, they teammed up to win, 6-0, 6-2 in doubles' competition. OCC improves to 2-1, while Palomar falls to 0-3. NONCONFERENCE Orange Coast 8, Palomar 1 Singles - Keijzer (OCC) def. Huyna, 6-1, 6-1; Goode (OCC) def. Tang, 6-3, 7-6; McNamara (OCC)

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL Orange Coast def. Palomar SAN MARCOS - Freshman outside hitter Dillon Emery finished with 18 kills in the Pirates' 25-22, 25-21, 25-12 Pacific Coast Conference win on Friday. OCC (14-4, 11-1 in conference) closed out the regular season on top of the conference for the second straight season. The postseason for the Pirates begins Thursday in the state semifinals at Long Beach City College on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Pirates will play the winner of Tuesday's match between El Camino and Grossmont.

COSTA MESA - It may be a little too late in the season to save Coach Travis Turner's ravaged voice, but the Orange Coast College men's volleyball team required little instruction in a dominating Pacific Coast Conference sweep of visiting Palomar on Wednesday. The Pirates (8-4, 5-1 in conference) needed only 60 minutes to conquer the Comets, 25-12, 25-12, 25-21, behind a match-high 12 kills from freshman opposite Dillon Emery and 28 assists from sophomore setter Michael Ensign.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Vanguard 61, Can State San Marcos 48 COSTA MESA - Esther Timmermans scored 15 points for the Lions in the nonconference game Thursday at the Pit. Chelsea Alfafara added 12 points and Alison Drennan had nine points for Vanguard (19-5). Cal State San Marcos is 15-14. * MEN'S VOLLEYBALL Orange Coast def. Moorpark COSTA MESA - Dillon Emery had 21 kills and six aces to lead OCC to a 23-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-12 win Thursday.

Orange Coast College will change conference alignments in football for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, trading its current six-team alignment for a seven-team grouping that features teams that have traditionally had more success. The Pirates, who competed in the Central Division East Conference the last two seasons, will shift to the National Division Southern Conference. They will be joined by former East Conference members Golden West and Santa Ana, as well as Orange County rivals Saddleback and Fullerton, and San Diego County representatives Grossmont and Palomar.

COSTA MESA — The Orange Coast College women’s volleyball season has been shaped by outside forces. In more ways than one. Coach Chuck Cutenese said the improvement of sophomore outside hitters Poerava Gantt and Rachel Freeno has, along with sophomore middle blocker Briana Fields, helped create a potent, balanced attack to go with some stellar ball control keyed by sophomore libero Nikki Osuna, sophomore Amanda Cheseborough and freshman...

The Orange Coast College women’s volleyball team is the No. 5 seed and will open the Southern California Regional playoffs at home tonight at 7 against No. 12-seeded Palomar. With Friday’s sweep of Santa Ana to end the regular season, the Pirates (18-2) finished tied for first place in the Orange Empire Conference. The Pirates earned a better seed than fellow champion Cypress, the No. 6 seed, by way of a tiebreaker. Coach Chuck Cutenese’s Pirates, ranked No. 7 in the state, have won 11 of their last 12 matches.

COSTA MESA — While the bitter pill of defeat continued to occupy the palette of his teammates, Orange Coast College quarterback Kyle Manning was more likely to have swallowed dozens of rubber pellets kicked up by his frequent contact with the FieldTurf surface Saturday against visiting Palomar. Battered and bruised by more than a dozen hits in the pocket, most of which he barely had time to brace against as he stood in and delivered the ball, Manning will have more than a tender psyche on which to receive treatment after a 41-9 National Division football bashing at the hands of the Comets.

ESCONDIDO — Orange Coast College freshman quarterback Sean Reilly, filling in for injured sophomore Taylor Hughes, threw two first-quarter touchdowns to give the visiting Pirates a 14-0 lead over Palomar Saturday afternoon at Escondido High. But the Comets rallied to earn a 41-14 Southern Conference National Division triumph to extend the Pirates’ losing streak to five. OCC (4-5, 0-5 in the division), surrendered 544 yards of total offense to the Comets (7-3, 3-3)

When: Today, 1 p.m. Where: Escondido High Key Pirates: So. DE Dean DeLeone (63 tackles, 12 for loss, eight sacks); So. QB Taylor Hughes (127 for 214 passing for 1,733 yards with 13 TDs and nine interceptions); So. WR Cameron Hall (37 catches, 588 yards, 3 TDs). Key Comets: Fr. WR Paul Moore (32 catches, 268 yards, 4 TDs); Fr. WR Martavious Lee (27 catches, 474 yards, nine TDs). Breakdown: The Pirates (4-4, 0-4 in the National Division) have lost four straight, virtually knocking them out of bowl consideration ... Palomar is 6-3, 2-3 and is wrapping up its regular season ... OCC is ranked No. 11 in Southern California and No. 24 in the state, while Palomar is No. 12 in the state and No. 7 in SoCal ... Palomar is last in the seven-team division in total defense (allowing 376.8 yards per game)