Baseball: Rustlers earn first conference sweep, take down OCC

Huntington Beach, Calif. - The Rustler baseball completed a series sweep against Orange Coast College, improving their conference record to 5-7. 

Game One

Starting pitcher Jason Blood earned his fourth win of the season after the Rustlers took down the Pirates 11-3. Blood went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, five hits (one home run), and struck out 12 of the 27 batters he faced. 

Relievers Luke Higgins, Matt Gaunt, and James Englehart suppressed OCC's offense from having any chance of taking the game from the Rustlers. 

The Rustlers put up 11 runs off of 14 hits, and played a slightly improved game defensively with two errors. 

Catcher Adam Arroyo continued to prove himself in this series, driving in three runners with a two-run home run and a single. First baseman Dylan Kordic drove in two runners off of a triple and double, while left fielder Zech Samayoa also had 2 runs batted in with a single and a ground out. Third baseman Miles Jenkins and second baseman Davis Hildebrandt brought in a runner each. 

Not only were the Rustlers on fire in the box, they applied their success on the bases as well. Jonah Sebring and DJ McEvers both stole two bases, and Miles Jenkins stole one. 

Game Two

A fly ball and two pop ups forced a 1-2-3 inning for the Rustler offense in the first inning, but they did not let it cost them the game. This game did not see scoring from either team until the fourth inning, where adjustments were made at the plate. 

Left fielder Zech Samayoa recorded two solo home runs in Thursday's matchup, his fourth and fifth of the season. The first one tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, and his second was a back-to-back shot following right fielder Jonah Sebring's home run in the seventh inning, counting for the last Rustler run of the game. 

"Today I was talking with Coach Tony, our hitting coach, and we were really working on some timing mechanisms," Samayoa said. "I implemented it, adjusted our approach, and it paid off well." 

First baseman Dylan Kordic batted in two runners off a single to right field following Samayoa's home run in the fourth inning. Scoring runs became a theme throughout the next three innings as Noah Estrem got an RBI double in the fifth, a runner scored on a ground out in the sixth by Davis Hildebrandt, and the two home runs from Sebring and Samayoa in the seventh. 

Coming off a rough five-game losing streak prior to this series against OCC, the pitching staff made a complete turn around in both Tuesday's and today's games. 

"[Jason] Blood threw really, really well on Tuesday, and Brett [Wozniak] was really good today," Head Coach Drew Ramos said. "We played awful defense behind him, but he was able to overcome those mistakes. He stayed true to his plan, and he was huge for us today." 

Not only did Blood have an impressive bounce-back performance on Tuesday, the Rustler coaching staff also saw improvement from Wozniak who gave up five earned runs through four innings in his last appearance against Santa Ana. Against OCC, Wozniak allowed one earned run, six hits, and punched out eight batters over six innings. 

Reliever Luke Higgins entered the game in the seventh inning, facing a total of five batters and giving up one run off a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Taking over for Higgins with one out on the board in the eighth inning, reliever Fino Amador closed the game, earning his first save of the season. 

"Winning a series here on out won't be enough. We're gonna have to try and find the sweep and just win as many games as possible," Ramos said. "We can't be complacent, we have to come hungry on Saturday, and we have to keep winning games." 

Interview with Coach Ramos

Interview with Zech Samayoa

Game Three

As Ramos said following Thursday's game, the Rustlers have to set their eyes on sweeping their upcoming opponents, which is exactly what they did with a 7-2 win at John Altobelli Park on Saturday. 

Johnnie Valdez Jr. secured his fourth win of the season after a seven inning outing. His line of work resulted in two runs, seven hits (one home run), one walked batter, and five strikeouts. 

Neither team showcased sharp defense this series. Both teams made three errors each at Saturday's game, costing them unwanted runs against themselves. 

As for the offense, both teams had eight hits, but Golden West had more success bringing their runners home. The fourth inning was eventful for the Rustler lineup, who took the lead from the Pirates. 

An RBI single hit by left fielder Zech Samayoa tied the game in the fourth, after being down 1-0 after the Pirates scored off a double in the first inning. Right fielder Dylan Kordic followed in Samayoa's footsteps, driving in a runner off a single to left field. Second baseman Miles Jenkins earned an RBI off a sacrifice fly and left the rest to first baseman Gunnar Magrann. 

Magrann drove a ball over the right field fence, raking in 3 runs in the fourth inning, widening the lead 6-1. Utility man Jonah Sebring sent a ball over the left field wall for a solo home run in the ninth inning, finishing off the scoring for the game. 

NEXT: The Rustlers are hot and dangerous heading into a three game series against Riverside, who is sharing first place in Orange Empire Conference standings with Saddleback, starting at home on Tuesday. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m. 

Written By: Marissa Lavezzari