Baseball: Vikings can’t take advantage of Orange Coast mistakes, fall 6-5

The rough start to the 2015 season continued for the Long Beach City College baseball team on Tuesday. The Vikings left a season-high 15 runners on base and couldn't take advantage of six Orange Coast College errors in a 6-5 non-conference loss to the defending state champion Pirates at Joe Hicks Memorial Field.

The Vikings are 0-4 as the three-game series moves to Costa Mesa. OCC hosts Long Beach on Thursday (Feb. 12) at 2 pm before the series returns to LBCC for the finale on Saturday (Feb. 14) at 12 pm.

Orange Coast (6-3) committed four errors in the fourth inning alone. Long Beach was aided by a pair of hit batters but managed just an infield single by sophomore Tanner Levine (Millikan HS). The Vikings were able to push across two runs, but left the bases loaded in what could have been an even bigger inning.

With the score tied at 3-3 in the sixth inning, Long Beach jumped ahead after a RBI single from freshman Tai Tiedemann (Poly HS) that scored sophomore Jake Harris (Lakewood HS).

But Orange Coast jumped ahead for good in the seventh. Stefan Panayiotou and Tommy Bell hit back-to-back RBI doubles to chase LBCC starting pitcher Julian Griego (Poly HS) and give OCC a 5-4 advantage.

The Pirates added another run in the top of the eight to go ahead 6-4 before Long Beach rallied for another score in the bottom half. Levine hit a two-out RBI single to score freshman Ernesto Sierra (Millikan HS). But once again, LBCC left runners and second and third base.

Long Beach had a final chance to even the score in the ninth, but the Vikings left the tying run at third base.

Levine had a big day at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored while Tiedemann also went 3 for 5 with a RBI.

Griego (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs and 12 hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked none.

Bell went 4 for 5 with 2 RBI to lead the Orange Coast offense. Andrew Frank (1-0) picked up the win in relief while James McLellan earned his first save of the season.