Pirates set to battle Hornets for state tournament berth

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College softball team is looking to make school history this weekend as the Pirates host Fullerton College in the Southern California Super Regional Playoffs, beginning Friday at 2 p.m. at the OCC Softball Stadium.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series will take place on Saturday at 12 p.m. at OCC. If a third game is required, it will take place immediately following Game 2.

A series win by the Pirates (30-7) over the Hornets (19-21) will give Coast its first trip to the 3C2A State Softball Tournament for the first time since the 1993 season ... a span of 32 years!

Top-seeded Coast earned the hosting duties this weekend after sweeping past Mt. San Jacinto College in the Regionals, rolling past the Eagles, 9-1 in six innings in the opener before needing eight innings to advance with a 2-1 win.

"We got a combination of being able to cruise to a victory in the opener, which showed us our potential of what we can do at the plate and with our pitching and our defense," OCC head coach Jodie Kiaha said. "Then, we had a tight ballgame, where we had to press and we were still able to perform under pressure so I think those two types of games are great experience for us. At this point, everyone has a shot at winning so I'm glad we were able to get in two very different games."

In the opener, the heart of the Pirate lineup -- Jasmyn Morales (.342, 38 hits, 6 HR, 34 RBI), Kimora Tuipala (.309, 25 hits, 4 HR, 30 RBI) and Isabel Lopez (.296, 34 hits, 6 HR, 24 RBI) -- combined for six hits, four runs and six RBI, while Reyna Hernandez (.329, 27 hits, 5 HR, 23 RBI) slugged a pair of home runs to enable Coast to cruise to a run-rule win. Daniella Sanchez (11-1, 2.64 ERA) was outstanding in the opener and held MSJC to one run on four hits over six innings.

Game 2 went down to the wire, with neither team finding too much offensive success before Kayla Vargas put the Pirates up for good with an eighth-inning home run to send the Pirates forward. Pitchers Ruby Fidge and Kelsey McNair (5-0) held the Eagles to just one run and two hits over eight innings of work.

For the No. 10-seeded Hornets, they earned their spot at the Super Regionals with a pair of upset wins, knocking off No. 7 Mt. San Antonio with back-to-back shutout wins, 2-0 on Friday and 3-0 on Saturday. Hornet pitcher Grace Workman was outstanding against the Mounties, throwing back-to-back shutouts and allowing just 11 hits over 14 innings.

After a 13-21 start to the season, the defending state-champion Hornets are picking the right time to play their best softball of the season, winning six straight heading into Friday's playoff. 

The Pirates swept the Hornets during Orange Empire Conference play (4-0, 6-5 and 9-3) but Kiaha knows those numbers get thrown out of the window when it comes to a best-of-three series with a trip to State on the line, especially a team with recent championship experience.

"We respect their ballclub a lot," Kiaha said. "We had success during the regular season but we know it's a brand-new series and a brand-new time of year. We both are going to bring our best stuff to this series so I think it's going to be a great matchup. To be able to host a Super Regional for the first time in my time here (OCC last hosted in 1992) is a great marker for our program and a great display of great softball, not only from Southern California, but from our own Orange Empire Conference."

Outfielder Olivia Pedraza has been the catalyst atop the Pirate batting order all season with a .387 batting average with 41 hits and 27 runs scored.

Fullerton's offense is anchored by sophomore Veronica Moore, who enters Friday's game with a .427 batting average with 53 hits, 7 HR and 44 RBI. Freshman Bethanie Morrison has a .339 average with 40 hits and 27 runs scored, while Hope Morales is batting .322 with 37 hits and 28 runs scored. 

Workman is FC's workhorse, going 13-12 with a 3.97 ERA with 19 complete games and 181 2/3 innings under her belt this year.

"For us to win, we will need to swing at good pitches, timely hitting, timely defense and not get outside of our game," Kiaha said. "We will need to command in the pitcher's circle, recover quickly if things don't go our way and clutch up when needed."

The winner of this series will head up to West Valley College for the 3C2A State Softball Championship, which begins on Thursday, May 15.