Big seventh inning propels Pirates past Rustlers
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 2 |
|
Golden West | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College softball team used a five-run seventh inning to pull away from rival Golden West, 8-3, on Wednesday at the OCC Softball Complex.
The "visiting" Pirates (Wednesday's away team due to GWC's field construction) jumped out to a 3-1 lead with RBI-hits by Brooklyn Pack, Liana Castro and Madison LeClaire through the first three innings. It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth, when the Rustlers (2-5, 0-1 in Orange Empire Conference) took advantage of a pair of Coast errors to tie the game at 3.
But that stalemate didn't last long as Janae Gomez reached first on an infield single and trotted around the bases one batter later when Castro blasted a two-run home run over the centerfield fence, putting the Pirates up, 5-3. OCC tacked on more runs when LeClaire, Madison Taylor, and Pack loaded the bases with singles and all came around on a clutch single to right off the bat of Blake Hesla.
Bronwyn Jarvis, who came into the game to pitch the sixth inning, picked up the win in relief, allowing just one walk over the final 1 2/3 innings.
Gomez and LeClaire paced OCC's 15-hit attack with three hits each, while Castro finished with two hits, two runs and three RBI. Hesla came off the bench to provide two hits and two RBI in her two at-bats.
Coast will return to action on Friday at home against Riverside, beginning at 2 p.m.
