Box Score | Season Stats

February 2, 2008

Baseball:

Vikings hold on for 3-2 win in home-opener vs. Orange Coast

Sophomore Randy Serrato turned in another impressive start from the mound and freshman third baseman Trevor Costin launched a two-run homerun to lead the Long Beach City College baseball team to a 3-2 non-conference win over Orange Coast College at Joe Hicks Memorial Field on Saturday.

With the win, the Vikings snapped a two-game losing skid and took the third of a three-game series from the Pirates to improve to 3-2 on the season. OCC suffered its first loss of the year and dropped to 4-1-1.

Serrato, along with two other LBCC pitchers, had to overcome a shaky Viking defense that committed a season-high six errors.

Serrato (1-0) pitched six and two-third innings, allowing just one hit (a first-inning single) and two unearned runs. He struck out three and walked none to earn his first win of the season.

The Vikings jumped on the board in the bottom of the first. Freshman center fielder Michael Shultz led off with a double to right and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman shortstop Hector Iribe. Shultz then came in to score on a passed ball by OCC catcher Jake Seifman to give LBCC an early 1-0 lead.

In the third, Orange Coast took advantage of a pair of infield throwing errors by the Vikings and got second baseman Ryan Dunn in to score on a suicide squeeze bunt by third baseman Kyle Muhlsteff to tie the game up 1-1.

LBCC came right back in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good. Iribe lined a two-out single to center before Costin smashed a two-run homerun over the left-field fence to give the Vikings a 3-1 advantage.

Two more errors led to the Pirates’ final run of the game in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and third, Serrato got shortstop Brent Wallach to hit into a double play that plated a run, bring the score of 3-2.

Orange Coast threatened in the top of the eighth. Muhlsteff and center fielder Cory Olson strung together back-to-back singles to put two runners on with no outs.

But freshman reliever Teddy Mitrosilis pitched his way out of the jam. He got Mike Ferraro to strike out, got Jourdan Watanabe to pop out, and induced a ground out from Austin Elliott to end the threat.

Freshman Scott Watson struck out two batters in the ninth to earn his first save.

Serrin Jarvi (0-1) earned the loss for Orange Coast. He allowed seven hits and three runs (two earned) in five innings. Brandon Dixon came in to pitch three scoreless innings of relief and gave up just one hit.

At the plate, Olson led the Pirates with two hits (2 for 4).

Sophomore second baseman Armando Arzate and freshman right fielder Brian Loard both went 2 for 3 for Long Beach.

LBCC is back in action on Tuesday (Feb. 5) when it hosts Santa Ana College in a 2 p.m. non-conference game.