Pirates wrap up regular season with 7-3 win over Rustlers
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Golden West | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
|
Orange Coast | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | X | 7 | 14 | 0 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College softball team made it a Sophomore Day to remember as the Pirates rolled to a 7-3 Orange Empire Conference win over rival Golden West on Thursday at the Pirate Softball Stadium.
The Pirates (25-12, 15-6 in the OEC) grabbed an early 4-1 lead in the first inning, thanks in large part to a three-run home run off the bat of Reyna Hernandez, her team-leading fifth HR of the season. From there, it was a steady dose of what made OCC so steady and solid this year ... quality pitching and outstanding defense, keeping the Rustlers (16-16, 10-11) at bay the rest of the game.
Anytime the Rustlers would score a run (first, fourth and fifth innings), the Pirates responded in the bottom of the same frame and produce runs of their own.
Natalie Lowthers went 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI for Coast, while Jasmyn Morales added three hits, including two-run home run in the fourth that helped push OCC's lead up to four at 6-2 in the fourth inning.
That offense was more than enough for sophomore pitcher Angela Whitmer, who picked up her 13th win of the year and her 15th complete game of the year, going the distance and allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Coast pounded out 14 hits against the Rustlers, including a 2-for-2 effort from Lexia Martinez.
The postseason now awaits the Pirates as the seedings will be announced later this weekend. Be sure to log onto www.occpirateathletics.com for the latest playoff information as it becomes available.
While it was the last regular-season game for OCC sophomores, Isabel McElroy, Taylor Nguyen, Angela Whitmer, Natalie Lowthers, Melissa Hanson, Katie Belmontes and Lydia Gonzalez, there is still more work to be done and hopefully the Pirate Softball Stadium will still have more games to host.
Stay Tuned.
