Pirates end remarkable season with loss to Warriors

SARATOGA -- After a heart-stopping come-from-behind win in the opening game of the 3C2A Softball State Championships, the Orange Coast College softball team just ran out of comebacks as the Pirates dropped their final game of the season to El Camino (10-8) on Friday night ending their remarkable 2025 campaign.

"In the last three years, our program has seen huge growth because of the players who've come through OCC," Pirate head coach Jodie Kiaha said. "Our experience at the state tournament was one I'll never forget, but ultimately, we can't wait to return. Thank you to all of our parents, OCC staff, alumni and the campus community for taking the journey with us." 

Coast ended its season at 33-9 overall, the best record for OCC softball in over 30 years. The trip to the State Tournament was OCC's first apperance since the 1993 season and the Pirates earned a share of the OEC title for the first time since the 1992 campaign.

After OCC's 3-2, 8-inning loss to the College of the San Mateo Friday morning, Coast had to get back on the field later that night to take on El Camino in an elimination game. 

The game didn't start well as the Warriors (39-9) took advantage of five first-inning walks and three hits, jumping out to a 7-0 lead before the Pirates even stepped up to the plate.

But Coast showed exactly why they were in the State Tournament and answered right back with five runs in the bottom of the frame to get back into the contest. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch by Kimora Tuipala got the Pirates on the scoreboard. Two batters later, Kayla Vargas copied Tuipala's feat and "drove" in a run with a HBP. Reyna Hernandez walked to score OCC's third run before Maiah Rodriguez brought in two runs with the help of an ECC error and suddenly, Coast was within two at 7-5.

Laura Episom, OCC's third pitcher of the game, managed to keep the Warriors off of the scoreboard through the second and third innings, allowing the Pirates to come all the way back from their early 7-run deficit ... and actually LEAD, 8-7 after three innings. Back-to-back doubles by Kelsey McNair and Jasmyn Morales in the second inning made it 7-6 and in the third, an RBI-double by Morales and a run-scoring infield single by Tuipala put the Pirates in front, 8-7.

But the Warriors managed to tie the score in the top of the fourth and regain the lead in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs to go up, 10-8. Over the final four innings, ECC pitchers retired 12 of the final 13 OCC batters they faced to preserve the win.

Morales finished her 2025 season batting .357 with 45 hits, 15 doubles, 8 HR and 42 RBI, earning All-State honors for her stellar play throughout the season. 

All-Southern California honors went to McNair (.405, 34 hits, 16 RBI, 6-0, 7 saves, 0.90 ERA, 51 strikeouts in 31 innings) and freshman Daniella Sanchez (13-1, 2.23 ERA), while McKenzie Koshi earned NFCA Gold Glove honors at second base after just 3 errors on 178 total chances for a .983 fielding percentage.