Pirates falter down the stretch in 11-8 loss to Hornets

COSTA MESA -- An inspired seventh-inning comeback went for naught in the eighth for the Orange Coast College softball team during Monday's 11-8, eight-inning loss to visiting Fullerton College.

Coast held the Hornets to just one run through four innings and held a 2-1 advantage before Fullerton found some offensive success, scoring 10 runs over the next four innings.

The Hornets led 8-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh before the Pirates pieced together hit after hit after hit to draw even.

Consecutive singles by Katie Kendrick, Briana Magdaleno, Kristin Nance, Mariah Dominguez and Breanna Thompson brought Coast to within two at 8-6, loading the bases with nobody out.

Fullerton relief pitcher Nicole Pratt came in and after striking out the first batter she faced, she uncorked a wild pitch to plate another OCC run to make it 8-7. 

The Pirates tried to squeeze in the tying run, but the bunt attempt was missed, leaving OCC's baserunner on third out to dry, giving the Hornets their second out of the inning.

But Kenna Barth managed to redeem herself with an infield single that scored Thompson with the tying run. Two batters later Hannah Cavalier ripped a single to right, but Hornets' rightfielder Mercedes Dozal fired a strike to the plate to gun down Barth for the third out of the inning, keeping the game tied at 8.

Fullerton took that momentum and used three OCC errors to plate three unearned runs to make it 11-8.

Coast had a pair of two-out hits by Nance and Dominguez to bring the tying run to the plate, but Pratt wiggled out of the jam with a fielder's choice ground out to end the game.

Bianca Espinoza went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for the Hornets (10-8, 2-4), while Alexandria Avilia added three hits and two RBI.

For Coast, Magdaleno smacked a two-run home run in the first inning and finished with three hits and three RBI. Nance went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, while Cavalier added three hits and two runs scored.

Coast returns to action on Wednesday at Santa Ana College (3 p.m.). OCC's next home game will be on Wednesday, March 19 against Cypress, also at 3 p.m.