Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2
Final Season Stats

May 10, 2008

Baseball:

Vikings’ season ends with Southern California Regional playoff loses at Orange Coast; eight earn SCC honors

The Long Beach City College baseball season came to an end last weekend (May 9-10) after the Vikings dropped their second straight Southern California Regional playoff game at Orange Coast College.

The No. 14 seeded Vikings fell to No. 3 Orange Coast 9-4 on Friday and was swept from the postseason after a 9-7 loss on Saturday.

In the series opener on Friday, a big six-run second inning blew the game open for Orange Coast.

Michael Schultz drove in Randy Serrato with a RBI single in the fifth and Derek Junghanel smashed a solo homerun to cut OCC’s lead to 6-2.

Orange Coast came right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and added another in the seventh to up its lead to 9-2.

LBCC scored its final two runs of the game in the top of the eighth. Hector Iribe had a RBI single and Schultz drove in his second run of the game with a fielder’s choice.

Alex Van Horn (0-6) earned the loss for the Vikings. He allowed six runs, only one earned, and four hits in 1 2/3 innings. Iribe was 3 for 4 with a RBI to lead LBCC at the plate.

Another big inning by Orange Coast doomed Long Beach in game two.

The Vikings jumped ahead to a 2-1 lead after two innings. OCC, the visiting team in game two, posted a run in the top of the first before the Vikings took advantage of two Orange Coast errors in the bottom of the first to tie up the game.

Brian Loard had a RBI single and Alex Van Horn drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run and LBCC was up 2-1.

But Orange Coast exploded for seven runs and eight hits in the top of the third. The big blow was a three-run homerun by Cory Olson off LBCC starter Randy Serrato to chase him from the mound.

OCC led 9-3 before LBCC posted a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Vikings added another run in the seventh and ninth innings but would get no closer than the final score of 9-7.

Serrato (9-2) earned the loss, just his second of the season, after allowing eight runs and 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Schultz went 3 for 5 with two runs and Derek Wurtz was 2 for 5 with two RBI to lead LBCC at the plate.

Long Beach closed the season with a 26-20 overall record. The Vikings finished tied for fourth place in the South Coast Conference with a 13-11 record.

LBCC made its fifth playoff appearance under 15th-year head coach Casey Crook.

ALL-SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE HONORS

LBCC had eight players named to the postseason All-SCC team.

First team honors went to sophomore Randy Serrato (Pitcher) and sophomore Alex Van Horn (Utility).

Second team accolades were awarded to sophomore Sean Beckley (Infield), freshman Trevor Costin (Infield), and freshman Michael Schultz (Outfield).