COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Van Blaricom’s Home Run Leads Orange Coast to Victory

Sophomore Mike Van Blaricom hit a three-run home run to help Orange Coast College to a 5-4 victory over MiraCosta in the first round of the Cypress-Orange Coast baseball tournament Friday at Orange Coast.

Van Blaricom’s homer came in the first inning and gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead. Orange Coast (5-5) scored in the sixth on an RBI single by Steve Hernandez to take a 4-2 lead. Corey Parker scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to put the Pirates ahead, 5-2.

Dominic Alvarez (1-0) didn’t allow a run in five innings of relief pitching for the victory. John Stuart replaced Alvarez to start the ninth and allowed two runs but got the final out with the tying run at second base.

In another Cypress-OCC tournament game:

Bakersfield 5, Cypress 4 (10 innings)--In the 10th, Troy Babbitt’s single drove in Larry Perry to cut the deficit to 5-4 and put runners on first and third with two outs for Cypress. But Doug McConathy grounded out to end the game. Jason Bates had two hits, including a home run, and Tom Puppe had two hits for Cypress (9-3).

In the Casey Stengel tournament:

Long Beach 5, Rancho Santiago 4--Marty Neff had two hits and an RBI and John Weber had two hits for Rancho Santiago (8-2), which was eliminated from the tournament.

In a nonconference game:

Saddleback 8, San Diego City 2--Corie Guiliano (2-0) allowed two unearned runs in seven innings as Saddleback won on the road.

Buster Neitzke had three hits and two RBIs and Brent Ferguson had two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for Saddleback.

The teams meet again today at Saddleback at noon.