Orange Coast prevails in grand style

Freshman shortstop, starting his first game on the college level, delivers knockout blow in Pirates’ tournament-opening win.COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College baseball team opened the Matt O’Brien Tournament in grand fashion.

Freshman Nick Rotkowitz, starting his first college game, hit an inside-the-park grand slam and a trio of pitchers held Mount San Jacinto College to six hits as the Pirates won, 6-1, in their home opener Thursday.

Rotkowitz, the No. 9 hitter in Orange Coast’s lineup, came up with two outs in the top of the fourth inning. Matt Meadows had singled off Mount San Jacinto starter Ernie Medina and taken second on center fielder Ricardo Torres’ error. Freshman catcher Taylor Loop and sophomore Steve Lajkowicz then walked to load the bases.

Rotkowitz hit a hanging line drive that Torres lost in the glare of the sun. The ball sailed over Torres’ head and rolled to the fence.

The freshman rounded second and saw Pirates Coach John Altobelli waving him home. Rotkowitz kept running and slid into home plate well ahead of the throw to give the Pirates a 6-1 lead.

“I got lucky, basically,” Rotkowitz said. “I didn’t think the coach would send me when I got to third, but he did and I kept on chugging.”

Rotkowitz, a Fountain Valley High graduate, couldn’t remember the last time he hit an inside-the-park home run.

The hit turned a 2-1 lead into a five-run cushion for the Pirates and seemed to deflate the Eagles, who managed two more hits the rest of the game.

“Yeah, I think it did,” Altobelli said of the grand slam’s effect. “Another outfield miscue. You could feel the wind go out of their sails.”

It was the third mistake the Mount San Jacinto outfield made. In the first inning, Orange Coast designated hitter Stephen Schneider hit a deep fly to left-center field after Gary Gattis tripled and Meadows walked.

The ball was hit in the gap but looked catchable until it fell between the outfielders, who hesitated at the last second and let the ball drop at their feet. Gattis and Meadows scored to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Eagles put together a walk and two singles to score their only run of the game off Pirates starter Keith Demorgandie (1-0). The freshman went five solid innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out four and walking two.

Demorgandie got outs with his fastball early, then started mixing in more off-speed pitches in his last two innings of work -- recording all four of his strikeouts in the final two innings.

Freshman Ryan Eccles pitched three scoreless innings of relief, registering five strikeouts and one walk. Sidearmer Mark Haderlein closed out the game, allowing just one walk in the ninth inning.

Second baseman Danny Gonzales made a couple of diving plays up the middle to highlight the Pirates’ defensive effort.

Orange Coast, which takes on De Anza today, moved to 2-0.

“It feels good to start out on the right foot,” Rotkowitz said. “Hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

Matt O’Brien Tournament

First round

Orange Coast 6,

Mount San Jacinto 1

Score by Innings