Huntington Beach, CA – Golden West College delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday afternoon, blanking visiting Orange Coast College 8-0 in Orange Empire Conference action. The Rustlers improved to 17-9 overall and 5-2 in conference play, while the Pirates remained winless in league competition at 0-7.

Golden West's pitching staff was untouchable, combining for a two-hit shutout. Starter David Ladjevic (3-0) set the tone, tossing five innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven. Ayden Valdez, Braden Wellen, and Kameron Lee each contributed scoreless relief appearances, combining for five additional strikeouts to secure the shutout.

The Rustlers' offense got rolling early and never let up. Bryan Martinez opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI double to left center, driving in Cole Belfanti. A wild pitch in the third allowed Zack Burrow to score, doubling Golden West's lead to 2-0.

A two-run fourth inning extended the Rustlers' advantage, highlighted by Burrow's RBI single and a run-scoring hit from Jonny Rodriguez. In the fifth, Roman Meyers launched a two-run home run to left center, breaking the game open at 6-0. Burrow continued his standout day in the sixth with an RBI double, before Belfanti capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Burrow led the offensive charge, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Meyers also had a strong performance, finishing 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Rodriguez, Martinez, and Belfanti each chipped in RBIs as well.

Orange Coast struggled at the plate, managing just two hits – doubles from Andrew Chorbagian and Zach Boynton. The Pirates struck out 12 times and left seven runners on base. Starting pitcher Sullivan Spivey (1-4) took the loss, surrendering six runs over five innings.

Game two of the series heads to Costa Mesa and the Pirates campus Thursday, March 27 with a 2pm first pitch.