Orange County College Baseball : OCC Tops Rancho Santiago in Fight-Marred Game, 16-4
Rex Peters hit a pair of two-run doubles in the eighth inning as Orange Coast College scored 11 runs and defeated Rancho Santiago, 16-4, in a fight-marred Orange Empire Conference baseball game Tuesday at Rancho Santiago.
The loss ended Rancho Santiago’s 11-game winning streak. OCC (8-2, 21-6) moved within a game of Rancho Santiago (9-1, 19-4) at the halfway point in conference play. The teams play again at OCC Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
The fight started in the second inning after OCC starter Greg Marshall hit Frank Appice, who had hit a home run in the first inning to give Rancho Santiago a 1-0 lead.
With two out and a man on, Marshall’s first two pitches were high and inside and drove Appice from the batter’s box. After a called strike, Marshall’s next pitch struck Appice on the helmet and just above his eye.
Appice walked about 15 feet toward first, exchanging words with Marshall the entire time. Appice then ran toward the mound, players on both benches followed and a series of fights broke out. After a couple of minutes, the coaches and players separated.
Appice and reliever Richard Gonzales of Rancho Santiago, who was not in the game, were ejected. Marshall and Joey James, who was in left field for OCC when the incident started, also were ejected.
“The umpire should have warned him (Marshall) on the first pitch and on the second he should have been out of the game. It’s a book rule,” said Don Sneddon, Rancho Santiago coach. “I’ll lose a ballgame, I just don’t want anybody hurt.
“The pitch came within an inch of his eye and could have blinded Frank. I don’t think there’s a question about what they were trying to do. . . . It was ugly and it ruins the game of baseball.”
Said Mike Mayne, OCC coach: “I hate seeing things like this happen. We were not trying to hit Appice, we were trying to go up and in on him. That’s where you pitch him. The first pitch was a purpose pitch, but it wasn’t meant to hit him, not when there’s a runner on first and we’re down by two runs. It was telling him you don’t hold your hands up when you circle the bases.”
Mike Misuraca, making his first appearance of the season, replaced Marshall and pitched 3 innings, giving up one run, to get the victory. OCC scored two runs in the third inning to tie the score and two more in the fifth to take the lead, 4-2.
Misuraca, who had been playing shortstop and hitting .396 (38-96), was in an automobile accident Saturday and received 10 stitches in his forehead and three in his chin. He also had a bruised knee in the accident.
Peters was 3 for 5, scored three runs and had five RBIs.
Riverside 11, Saddleback 4--Riverside (3-7, 10-16) scored nine runs in the first two innings at Saddleback. The Gauchos are 2-8, 8-14.
In the South Coast Conference:
Fullerton 8, Golden West 7--Tim Churchill lined a bases-loaded single to right with one out in the ninth to lead Fullerton (13-4, 17-7) at home. Brian Coriell (3-1) pitched 2 of no-hit relief with one strikeout. Churchill finished 3 for 5 with two doubles and four RBIs. Ruscitto hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to tie the score, 6-6.
In nonconference college baseball:
Southern California College 6, UC Irvine 5--SCC scored four runs in the first inning off Irvine freshman Jeff Haack and fought off a late Irvine rally at UC Irvine. Joe Holden of SCC hit the first pitch from Haack (1-3) over the left-field fence. Mike Fay hit his second home run of the season in the first for Irvine.
Cal State Fullerton 3, University of San Diego 2 (11 innings)--Paul Cameron drove in Andy Mota with a double to left-center with two outs in the 11th to lead Fullerton (26-12) at home. Mota started the two-out rally with a bunt single. San Diego is 21-15-1.
In the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.:
Chapman 6-4, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 1-5--Steve Dunn threw a five-hitter in the first game, allowing only one unearned run in the first inning to lead Chapman (5-4, 17-17) at home.