ORANGE – An impressive performance from the top of the batting order and the pitching of Braydon Salzman proved to be the perfect recipe for the Ocean View baseball team.
Michael Giacone, Salzman and Brian Schlosser, the Seahawks’ top hitters, reached base a combined eight times and scored four times.
On the mound, Salzman allowed one run on five hits to put the finishing touches on a 6-1 victory over Orange in a Golden West League game Friday at Orange High.
Giacone scored two runs and had an RBI. Schlosser and Ben Myers had two hits apiece for the Seahawks.
The Seahawks (10-9, 6-1) moved into sole possession of first place with the victory and snapped a five-game losing streak.
“What a great a great performance,” Ocean View coach Shane Borowski said of Salzman’s outing. “We knew he (Salzman) had it in him and he came up big. He really grew up big out there on the mound and gave us everything he had on every single pitch, and boy we needed that game.
“Those three guys (Giacone, Salzman and Schlosser), along with (Grant) Rockefeller and (Ricky) Martinez have been interchangeable wherever you put them in the order. They’ve set the table and driven in the runs, kept innings going. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them do.”
The Seahawks staked Salzman (4-2) to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Giacone and Salzman reached base and Schlosser followed with a single, scoring Giacone. Salzman came around to score later in the inning.
In the third inning, Ocean View tacked on two more runs for a 4-0 lead.
From there, Salzman made sure that was enough support. He allowed two singles through the first four innings and held the Panthers scoreless until the seventh inning.
Matthew Gibson took the loss for the Panthers (11-6, 5-2).
“I thought my pitches were working, my curveball was getting over and my changeup was keeping them off balanced,” Salzman said.
Orange won Wednesday’s game against Ocean View, 8-6, to move into a tie for first place heading into Friday.
“We couldn’t anything to break his rhythm,” Orange coach Dennis Gerbasi said of Salzman. “We didn’t put a lot of pressure on them. We had a couple of great hits, but we just couldn’t string enough together to really get something going. He was throwing really well today.”
Ocean View faces Loara on Wednesday, while Orange takes on Santa Ana.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
