Pirates survive late rally by Knights for 7-5 win

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College softball team survived a frantic seventh-inning rally by San Diego City to secure a 7-5 win over the Knights on Monday afternoon in a chilly nonconference matchup.

OCC (5-0) jumped out to a 7-1 lead through six innings, only to see the Knights (0-2) take advantage of an OCC error and several consecutive hits to pull to within a pair at 7-5 and have the tying run in scoring position.

But relief pitcher Sarah Ramirez wiggled out of danger and coaxed a game-inning ground out to end the threat and give the Pirates their fifth straight win to start the 2019 season.

Coast posted four runs in the third and three runs in the sixth -- all unearned -- as the Pirates feasted on four SDCC errors in those two pivotal frames. 

In the fourth, Brooklyn Pack walked, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Scotty, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when a pickoff throw was mishandled by the SDCC shortstop, putting the Pirates up, 1-0.

Liana Castro then walked, stole second and scored on another SDCC error, making it, 2-0. Madison Taylor then singled, sending Madison LeClaire to third. Taylor then stole second and LeClaire came around to score on the botched throw to second, putting Coast in front, 3-0. Janae Gomez capped off the four-run frame with an RBI-single to right, scoring Taylor, who finished 2-for-3.

SDCC scored a run in the top of the fourth to make it 4-1 and it stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth before RBI-singles by Pack (2-for-2, two runs, one RBI) and Scotty and an RBI-double by Brianna Lopez made it 7-1. OCC's three-run frame became crucial as the Knights sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the seventh and scored four times.

OCC starter Jordyn East improved to 3-0 for the season after allowing one run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Bronwyn Jarvis followed East and pitched two perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts.

Ava Kopperschlager took the loss for the Knights, allowing seven runs (all unearned) on seven hits with eight walks.

The Pirates will return to action, weather permitting, on Wednesday at home against Cypress in the Orange Empire Conference opener for both teams, beginning at 3 p.m.