San Diego Mesa Wins In Ninth, 5-4

San Diego Mesa College scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Orange Coast, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at Mesa College.

The victory gives the Pacific Coast Conference champion Olympians (32-6) a one-game advantage in the best-of-three regional community college playoff series that concludes today. The first game is at 11 a.m.

Sophomore Bill McCafferty singled to open the ninth and his pinch-runner, Mike Adams, scored the tying run on a throwing error by losing pitcher Sam August (10-3).

Larry Oedewaldt bunted back to August, whose errant throw went into right field to tie the score, 4-4. The winning run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Tim Quinn by August.

San Diego Mesa pitchers Jeff Oswalt, Willie Morris and Eric Bridge combined to walk 13 batters, but the Olympians turned four double plays. Bridge got the victory.

Robert Fletcher hit his eighth home run of the season for San Diego Mesa in the third inning to give Mesa a 2-1 lead.

Quinn was 3 for 4, scored twice and had an RBI.

“You feel good anytime you win a game like this,” San Diego Mesa Coach Eric Swanson said. “Our lack of playoff experience really showed at times.”