Demorgandie propels Pirates

COSTA MESA — His Orange Coast College teammates call sophomore right-hander Keith Demorgandie “Demo.”

On Thursday, he put on a pitching demonstration rarely seen in the community college ranks, as he tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout in the Pirates’ 4-0 nonconference baseball win over visiting Western Nevada.

Demorgandie has now thrown 16 innings this season without allowing a run, though Thursday was his first win in as many decisions.

In the season opener Friday at Cuesta, Demorgandie turned a 1-0 lead over to the bullpen after seven innings, in which he allowed six hits, walked two and struck out four. OCC lost, 2-1 in the ninth.

In OCC’s home opener Thursday, he wasn’t about to let his bullpen let him down. Instead, he pushed through for the second complete game of his OCC career. The two-hour, 16-minute gem helped the Pirates improve to 2-2.

It was OCC’s first complete-game shutout since Kyle Allen blanked Merced, Feb. 7, 2003.

Demorgandie yielded a bloop double with one out in the second and a line single to center to lead off the third. He walked five and struck out seven, fanning two in the sixth after a leadoff error and a groundout put a runner on third base with one out.

He also earned the final out in the second with a strikeout, stranding a runner on third base.

Only four Western Nevada baserunners reached second base.

What’s more, Demorgandie, who threw 128 pitches, had neither his best velocity, nor his full complement of pitches.

“He has four pitches, but he never threw his split,” OCC Coach John Altobelli said. “And his velocity was better last year than it was today. He was throwing as high as 94-95 mph last year.”

Said Demorgandie: “I was in the 88-92 [mph] range [Thursday]. And I only threw one split-finger fastball. I didn’t have my good slider until the last four innings.”

Altobelli said the slider is Demorgandie’s best pitch, but Western Nevada (2-3) might beg to differ.

The Wildcats hit just six balls out of the infield. One of those was retrieved on a diving catch by center fielder Cory Olson, who sprinted in on the play.

“I was throwing my fastball and my slider, with a few curveballs,” said Demorgandie, who along with sophomores Ryan Shopshire and Keith Rizor is part of a starting staff that has now allowed just three earned runs in 28 innings this season (an 0.96 ERA).

“When you get a good pitching performance, only give up two hits, you should win that game,” said Altobelli, who saw his offense score single runs in the first four innings to stake Demorgandie to more than he needed.

“We’re swinging the bat a little better, even though they shut us down after we got four, and Demo did an outstanding job for us,” Altobelli said.

OCC leadoff man Nick Rotkowitz singled and later came around to score on a wild pitch in the first. His sacrifice fly to deep right-center field scored a hustling Gabe Cota from second base for the second run and he tripled in the final run for the winners.

Halston Barcelo plated Eric Oliver for the third run with a sacrifice fly. Oliver had singled with one out and advanced to third on a double by Olson.

Rotkowitz and Mike Ferraro each had two hits to lead the Pirates’ eight-hit attack.

Nonconference

Orange Coast 4,

Western Nevada

Score by Innings

W. Nev.

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

0

2

2

OCC

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

-

4

8

1

Garcia, Creveling (5) and Mierasl; Demorgandie and Cota. W -- Demorgandie, 1-0. L -- Garcia, 1-1. 2B -- Ferguson (WN), Olson (OCC). 3B -- Rotkowitz (OCC).