PARTY LIKE IT'S 1993: PIRATES ADVANCE TO STATE!

COSTA MESA -- For the first time in 32 years, the Orange Coast College softball team has earned a trip to the big dance after topping Fullerton College, 9-6, on Saturday in Game 2 of the Southern California Super Regional Playoffs at the OCC Softball Stadium.

With the win, the top-seeded Pirates (32-7) advance to the 3C2A Softball State Championhips at West Valley College for their first state tournament appearance since the 1993 season. OCC's opponent for the first game and date/time are to be determined. Log onto www.occpirateathletics.com for the latest playoff information as it becomes available.

OCC sophomore standout Jasmyn Morales showed the defending state-champion Hornets (19-23) and all in attendance why she was named the 2025 Orange Empire Conference's Most Valuable Player, going 3-for-5, with two home runs, three runs scored and six RBI, including the game-winning, three-run HR that broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the seventh (OCC was the visiting team for Game 2).

"It means a lot to me for us to get there (to the state tournament) and it takes a whole team to get there," Morales said after the game, fighting back tears. "I couldn't have done it without all my girls on this team, our coaching staff, our parents ... everyone believed in us, so our mentality was to do it of them and to do it for us. Show them what OCC is about. 

"We're not the underdogs anymore ... we're the top dogs."

Saturday's win was a far cry from Friday's pitching duel, won by OCC, 3-2. Those numbers were exceeded by the end of the first inning!

Coast got on the scoreboard first with RBI-singles by Morales and Isabel Lopez, putting the Pirates up, 2-0. But the ninth-seeded Hornets, the 2024 state champions, showed exactly why they were in the Super Regionals and scored four in the bottom of the first to grab a 4-2 advantage. An RBI-single by Veronica Moore, a two-run double by Linsey Arostigue and a run-scoring error by the Pirates put the "host" Hornets up a pair early on.

That FC advantage didn't make it to through the second inning, as the Pirates struck back with three in the top of the frame. After a leadoff single by Maiah Rodriguez and a successful sacrifice bunt by McKenzie Koshi (2-for-3, one run scored), Olivia Pedraza (2-for-5, one run, two RBI) sent an RBI-double to right-center scoring Rodriguez to make it 4-3. Pedraza was out going to third on the play but Kelsey McNair reached on a Fullerton error and scored on the first of two Morales home runs, putting Coast up, 5-4.

The Hornets tied the game in the bottom of the third when Bethany "Beezer" Morrison (2-for-3, two runs, one RBI) hit a solo home run over the centerfield fence to make it 5-5. Later in the frame, Fullerton had two runners on with one out when Juliana Ursino (2-for-3) lined a shot to Lopez at short for the second out, but FC's runner on third, Kasey Nichols surprised everyone in the stadium when she tagged from third on the play and scored. putting Fullerton ahead, 6-5. OCC asked the umpires for a ruling to see if the ball was in the pitcher's circle before Nichols raced home -- thereby stopping play -- but the umpires allowed the run to count, giving the Hornets the lead.

From there, both pitching staffs managed to settle things down, putting up scoreless frames over the next three innings, leaving OCC just three outs in the top of the seventh to rally and avoid a winner-take-all Game 3.

A one-out walk by Rodriguez and a single by Koshi got the rally started, putting two runners on base for Coast. Pedraza then stepped up and lined a single to left-center, scoring pinch-runner Marissa Sardinas with the tying run and moving Koshi to second. McNair nearly put the Pirates ahead, but a great catch in left field by Ursino on a slicing line drive kept everyone where they were. 

Finally, Morales found her pitch and launched a rocket that soared far over the left-field foul pole and halfway up the back screen, putting the Pirates up 9-6. Fullerton asked the umpires to confirm fair or foul on the play and the call stood. 

"I was nervous a little but, but every kid wants to be in that situation,"Morales said. "Thankfully I was able to pull it out. I was hoping to get a pitch I could get a hold of and all I was thinking about was getting a base hit. But thankfully, I got a home run out of it."

Friday's starting pitcher for the Pirates, Daniella Sanchez (13-1), pitched the final four innings of relief and picked up the win for Coast, holding the Hornets scoreless over the final four frames on just one hit. 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Hornets fought down to their final at-bat as back-to-back, one-out walks brought up Moore, FC's top hitter. The count went to 3-0, but Sanchez never gave in and coaxed Moore into a harmless fielder's choice out at second. Sanchez repeated that result on the final batter to end the game, sending to the Pirates onto the field in a wild celebration, not seen around these parts in over three DECADES.