COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : OCC’s Power Backs Dabalack’s Pitching

Darin Dabalack pitched a seven-hitter and three players hit home runs as Orange Coast beat Saddleback, 9-2, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Thursday at OCC.

Dabalack (3-2), a sophomore right-hander, had eight strikeouts and walked none in his first start of the season.

Jason Parsons, Richard Ernst and Randy Karliner had home runs for OCC (11-8, 5-3 in conference), which moved into a first-place tie with Rancho Santiago and Cypress.

Saddleback is 13-5, 4-4.

In other Orange Empire Conference baseball games:

Cypress 11, Fullerton 8 (10 innings)--Visiting Cypress (15-7, 5-3) moved into a first-place tie by scoring one run in the ninth and three in the 10th after blowing a 7-3 lead. Fullerton is 8-12, 1-7. Mike DesRoches (4-0) pitched the final four innings for the victory for Cypress.

Riverside 1, Rancho Santiago 0--Freshman Josh Deakman pitched a three-hitter to improve to 4-0, and Riverside (14-7, 4-4) benefited from a misplay in right field for the winning run at Riverside.

Aric Thomas opened the bottom of the eighth with a single and reached third. Josh Behney then hit a line drive to right that David Gonzalez lost in the sun, allowing the winning run to score. Rancho Santiago is 15-4, 5-3.

In nonconference baseball:

Golden West 9, Rio Hondo 7--Chris Larson hit a home run and Brand Caso had four hits for Golden West (9-8).

In Orange Empire Conference men’s tennis:

Saddleback 9, Orange Coast 0--Jeremy Driscoll won, 7-6, 6-2, and then teamed with Erik Berg to win, 6-0, 7-5, in doubles for host Saddleback (10-0, 7-0).