Your Orange Coast College baseball team wins the first playoff game against Ventura College 15-1.

Winning pitcher for Coast is Brett Wallach (8-1) and the losing pitcher for Ventura is Blair Walters (5-4).

The men will play again tomorrow starting at 11 a.m. If Coast loses the 11 a.m. game, a tie-breaker game will follow immediately afterward.

The Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year Brett Wallach (right) proves again why he deserves that title.

After a bloop-single by Mykal Stokes and a hit-and-run single by Drew Hillman to start off the bottom of the seventh, Wallach stepped up to the plate hoping to increase his lead.

Wallach hit a bases-clearing triple over Ventura's center fielder to increase the Pirates lead to 7.

Ventura made a pitching change afterward that brought in Anthony Martinez. Pitcher Brian Walters moved to first base.

Coast's Beck Wheeler hit a hard grounder to Ventura's third baseman Trevor Duffy but a great defensive play kept Wallach at third.

Then Ricky Stokes came through for the Pirates again by singling through Duffy and Ricky later scored on a single by Scott Hong.

Hong also sored on a two-out single by D.J. Arellano.

The score is now 1-10, OCC's favor.

UPDATE

Sheeks came up to for the second time and singled again. He and Arellano was brought in by a bases-clearing double by Mykal Stokes.

Ventura made another pitching change after that. Max Javante came in for Martinez.

Hillman (left) took advantage of the pitching change immediately and homered on the second pitch over the 380 mark on the left field wall.

After two more batters advanced, Ricky Stokes ended the inning on a lineout to the second base.

All in all, it was a nine-run seventh inning on ten hits for OCC.

The score is now 1-14.

[Wallach photo by Hank Schellingerhout]
[Hillman photo by Tony Lee]

Sorry for the lack of scoring updates - I took some time to take pictures and interview people.

Coast's Brett Wallach has settled down and gave up no more runs up to the fifth inning. Wallach was in a jam in the top of the fourth having runners on first and third base with two outs but got out of the jam.

Ventura's Blair Walters (right) however gave up two more runs since the first inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Pirates threatened wih runners on first and second. D.J. Arellano, who was on second, missed the double-steal signal and was called out.

Then Coast's Mykal Stokes hit a ball in the infield but it was misjudged by Ventura. Sheeks hustled from second base and scored on a close play at home.

In the bottom of the fifth, Ricky Stokes hit a solo home run over the left field wall with two outs to add another tally on the board.

The score is 1-5 in favor of Coast.

UPDATE

Walters pitched a very good sixth inning - two strikeouts in around 10 pitches.

Coast's Ryan Dunn popped out shortstop and D.J. Arellano and Ryan Sheeks struck out in four pitches each.

[Photo by Tony Lee]

Tell me aboutyour last name, Schellingerhout.
It’s Dutch. I actually immigrated from Holland when I was 6-years-old.

How many people actually pronounce it right or spell it right?
Not too many but they try ad get close. It’s something I’ve grown used to.

How did you get into photography?
I guess when I was in (Fountain Valley) High School. I took a photo class, had a camera and eventually got into the year book staff in high school and then I started shooting a lot of sports for the year book and the coaches asked for pictures. I kept shooting for them even after high school, baseball, football and I still shoot for their girls basketball team for 26 years now.

What’s your favorite sport to shoot?
It changes. It used to be volleyball. At one point the coach asked me to bring lights in and it really got interesting; the coach was very enthusiastic so we got some really good pictures. Basketball’s fun. I like shooting soccer because I coach AYSO soccer. The least favorite is baseball because it’s hard to follow the ball. You don’t know where the balls going to go next – it’s challenging.

Besides photography, what do you like to do?
Watch sports – I mean I love to watch any types of sports. I like coaching soccer and going out to sporting events.

Besides sports, what else do you like to shoot?
Sports is my favorite. I shoot all the other things that goes on campus – events, dramas, symphonies and the meet-and-greets with all the famous people.

[Photo by Tony Lee]

The Orange Coast College Pirates have taken the lead in the bottom of the third thanks to third baseman Drew Hillman and first baseman Ricky Stokes (right).

Ryan Sheeks started off the inning with a infield single and later advanced to second of a steal.

After a popout to left field by Mykal Stokes, All second-OEC player Drew Hillman drove in Sheeks with a deep single to center field.

Coast's Brett Wallach then walked which set up the stage for Stokes - who drove both runners in with a bases-clearing double.

Both pitchers calmed down in the second inning and didn't give up another run.

The score is now 1-3 in favor of OCC.

[Photo by Tony Lee]

Ventura College got off to a fast start against the Orange Empire Conference player of the year Brett Wallach.

Ventura's leadoff hitter Garrett Rau laced a double over center fielder Mykal Stokes on the first pitch to start off the game.

After a sacrifice bunt by Collin LaVoie, right fielder AJ Gallardo singled up the middle for the first RBI and run of the game. Another single up the midde followed Gallardo.

Then, Ventura decided to try a double steal but a good throw by OCC catcher DJ Arellano got the runner out on third.

Wallach needed only two more pitches after that to strik out Reynaldo Garcia to end the inning.

The score is 1-0 in favor of Ventura.

Orange Coast College

LF - Ryan Sheeks
CF - Mykal Stokes
3B - Drew Hillman
P - Brett Wallach
SS - Beck Wheller
1B - Ricky Stokes
RF - Scott Hong
2B - Ryan Dunn
C - D.J. Arellano

Ventura College

SS - Garrett Rau
2B - Collin LaVoie
RF - AJ Gallardo
P - Blair Walters
1B - Reynaldo Garcia
CF - Tyler Bevan
LF - Brandon Young
C - Mike Yinglng
3B - Trevor Duffy

It's playoff time for the Orange Coast College Pirates.

Starting lineup and game update will soon follow.

[Photos by Tony Lee]

Yours truly and OCC Sports Information Director Tony Altobelli have picked the top 10 athletes/tandems/groups who played exceptionally well this semester.

In the May 13 issue of the Coast Report, I will reveal No. 6 through 10 on the list and in the May 20 issue (the final issue of the semester), I will reveal the rest of the picks.

But the blog will profile the athletes/tandems/groups in-depth so keep checking back.

The Orange Coast College baseball team plays its first playoff game Friday at home at 2 p.m.

Yours truly, and the lucky shoes, will be there to cover it live on the blog. [Click here to read about my lucky shoes]

Enjoy the slideshow.