Orange Coast steps down, for now

COSTA MESA — There will be no dog pile this year for the Orange Coast College baseball team.

But despite a 13-6 loss to visiting Compton on Tuesday in the Southern California Regional play-in game that eliminates the defending state champion from the postseason, Pirates’ Coach John Altobelli warned future foes that they should be careful about piling on.

“This is one year,” Altobelli said of the 19-17 season that included a 10-11 mark and fourth-place finish in the Orange Empire Conference. OCC won the conference title last season on its way to the school’s fourth state crown, its first since 1980, and a 37-14 record.

“This program has been going in the right direction for the last five or six years,” Altobelli said. “We’ve been doing a good job of recruiting and getting us back on track, and with the guys that we have redshirting this year, keep an eye on the Pirates next year. You’ll see us back there again.”

What Altobelli and onlookers saw Tuesday was a familiar list of shortcomings from the hosts, who committed five errors that led to seven unearned runs. Three Pirates pitchers also combined to give up 17 hits, which led to OCC allowing double-digit runs for the fourth time in the last five games.

“It just kind of summed up the year,” Altobelli said of Compton’s seventh straight win, its 10th in its last 11 games. “We haven’t been very good. We haven’t been very consistent. You win championships on pitching and defense and we haven’t had that in about three weeks. Our offense has been trying to block field goals and catch touchdowns to keep us in the game and we just couldn’t catch up today.”

The Pirates got behind before they recorded the second out of the game, as the Tartars (22-15) used two singles, a hit batter and a sacrifice fly to score twice in the first.

Freshman designated hitter Matt Glazier launched a one-out, solo homer to right field in the second to halve the deficit. It was the team-leading sixth homer of the season for Glazier, who went four for four with two doubles. Glazier, who was also hit by a pitch, scored three runs.

“Glazier has been swinging the bat well the last week and half or two weeks,” Altobelli said. “And, boy, what a day he had today.”

Sophomore shortstop Jordan Beck went three for five with one run batted in, while sophomore left fielder Scott Stidham and freshman catcher Jacob Rogers both went two for four with an RBI to help pace the Pirates’ 12-hit attack.

But OCC managed only single runs in the five innings in which it scored, leaving eight men on base in those five frames. OCC left nine on base total.

Compton came in with 108 stolen bases this season (nearly triple OCC’s 38), but had just one steal Tuesday.

OCC, meanwhile, stole two bases, one of the rare departments in which it bested the Tartans, who advance to meet Orange Empire champion Santa Ana in a best-of-three regional that begins Friday.

“They are pesky,” Altobelli said of the visitors. “They don’t overswing with two strikes. They put the ball in play. Obviously, we kicked it [made errors], but they did a good job finding holes. They are a good team. I give them credit; they battled.”

It was the final battle in an OCC uniform for nine sophomores, including second-team all-conference performers Beck and first baseman Danny Lapchak.

Sophomore Mykal Stokes, who tied the school record for career triples with 11, is drawing recruiting interest from San Diego State and UNLV, Altobelli said.

Stokes, a starter on the state championship team, also figures to be drafted by a Major League team in June. He was a 46th-round pick by the Padres in the 2009 draft.

Stokes had 58 RBIs and six career homers for OCC.

Altobelli said Stidham, who had 30 of his 45 career RBIs in the 2009 season, plans to continue his career at Point Loma Nazarene.

Southern California Regionals

Play-in game

Compton 13, Orange Coast 6

SCORE BY INNINGS

Compton 201 406 001 - 13 17 0

OCC 010 011 111 - 6 12 5

Villanueva, Gonzalez (8) and Murakami; Krogman, Lee (4), Abrams (6) and Rogers. W – Villanueva, 6-2. L – Krogman, 2-7. 2B – Rogers (OCC), Glazier (OCC) 2, Miranda (C). HR – Glazier (OCC), Beltran (C).