Baseball: Pirates lose key OEC matchup

COSTA MESA - In a game decided within its first 15 minutes of

action, the Orange Coast College baseball team dropped an 11-3 Orange

Empire Conference decision to visiting Cypress Saturday.

The Chargers (28-13, 13-9 in conference) jumped out to a 5-0

first-inning lead before the hot dogs and hamburgers were finished

cooking on the barbecue.Jeff Tuttle’s three-run home run was the big

blast in the opening frame for Cypress.

With the loss, the Pirates (23-15, 11-11) fall two games behind

fourth-place Cypress with two games remaining. OCC needs to win both of

its upcoming contests to even be considered for the playoffs.

Glenn Hedgpeth went 2 for 3 with a run scored and one RBI for the

Pirates, while Jake Garcia and Scott Beerer (Newport Harbor High) each

added two hits.

The five run explosion was more than enough for Chargers’ lefty Ray

Aguilar, who pitched seven strong innings to improve to 7-1.

The Pirates will be back in action Tuesday at Santa Ana, beginning at

2 p.m.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Cypress 11, Orange Coast 3

Cypress 511 100 210 - 11 12 1

Orange Coast 000 000 300 - 3 10 1

Aguilar, Tuttle (8), Whiteside (9) and Snapp, Duurama (9);

Courvoisier, Azze (2), Erickson (5), Foxman (8), Estrada (9) and Murphy,

Cotton (9). W - Aguilar, 7-1. L - Courvoisier, 3-4. 2B - Davis (C),

Uriegas (C), Hedgpeth (OCC). HR - Tuttle (C).