Pirates

COSTA MESA - Life is good for Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli. His Pirates improved to 6-0 Friday with an 8-2 nonconference home win against Long Beach and OCC is now 27-5 in February the last three seasons. So embarrassing are Altobelli's riches, he can give most of his starters a day off without tendering a similar respite to opposing pitchers. So it was that a lineup including only four regulars pounded out 12 hits to improve the Pirates' season batting average from .323 to .330.

COSTA MESA - Sometimes, Steve Spencer gets so caught up coaching his Orange Coast College men's basketball team, he forgets his own exceptions. So it was with 9:00 left in his team's 85-63 trouncing of Orange Empire Conference visitor Santa Ana on Wednesday that the 11th-year Pirates head man confounded his own logic. "Settle down! Settle down!" Spencer yelled from the bench as sophomore guard Will Ligon sped past in transition with the ball on his fingertips and a back-pedaling defender drifting into the lane.

COSTA MESA — Orange Coast College women's soccer coach Kevin Smith believes the tangible difference between his Pirates and the top teams in the state may be equal to the miniscule separation between a tie and a loss in Tuesday's Orange Empire Conference setback to visiting Cypress. In other words, about four inches. The estimated four-inch width of the crossbar was all that kept OCC (9-5-2, 8-3-1 in conference) away from drawing even with the Chargers (13-1-3, 9-1-2)

COSTA MESA — The Orange Coast College women's basketball team's motto this season is "Win the Day. " Some days are easier than others, of course, and Friday night's 75-42 romp over Cuesta in the quarterfinals of the Erin Tomlinson Coast Christmas Classic at OCC, was one of the lightest days of the season for the Pirates (11-2). OCC, ranked No, 17 in the state and No. 10 in Southern California, dominated throughout to extend its winning streak to seven and advance to the semifinals against Chaffey (9-4)

COSTA MESA — When Orange Coast College lost three out of four Orange Empire Conference games after opening the baseball season 15-1, there was little panic in the Pirates' dugout. Part of the justification for such calm was the presence of 6-foot-8 right-hander Chad Thompson, who was just starting to round back into shape after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery on May 1, 2009. Thompson, who signed with Arizona State as a senior at El Toro High, was expected to be a high draft pick that June.

IRVINE - It was fitting that after its 49-46 overtime victory over Grossmont on Thursday that the Orange Coast College women's basketball team ducked into a classroom outside the Irvine Valley College gym for a brief tutorial from veteran coach Mike Thornton. It may, in fact take enough basketball instruction to fill a three-ring binder to limit the times when the inexperienced Pirates resemble a three-ring circus on the floor. "It's been a struggle," said Thornton, whose team improved to 5-4 and advanced to the championship semifinals of the IVC Tournament Friday at 5 p.m. against Chaffey.

FULLERTON — Just three spots separate the women's basketball teams from Orange Coast College and Fullerton in the Southern California rankings. But the margin for error for the visiting Pirates Friday was even tighter, OCC Coach Mike Thornton said. So, despite catching the Hornets on what Thornton considered an off night, the Pirates failed to capitalize in a showdown for first place in the Orange Empire Conference. OCC (17-6, 4-1 in conference), ranked No. 6 in Southern California and No. 10 in the state, used a 10-0 run to take a 25-24 lead with a minute left in the first half.

COSTA MESA — Though there was confusion at times as to whether either team could play any worse, it was clear which team wanted most to avoid the worst-case scenario Saturday night at Orange Coast College. Ultimately, the host Pirates showed the greater resilience to claim a 57-50 triumph over Merced in the semifinals of the Thanksgiving Classic women's basketball tournament. The victory propels OCC (4-1) into today's 4 p.m. championship game against Mt. San Jacinto (3-2)