Pirates even series with 10-2 win over Rustlers in five
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Golden West | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
|
Orange Coast | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College softball team turned their game up several notches on Thursday as the Pirates rolled to a 10-2, five-inning win over visiting Golden West in an Orange Empire Conference matchup at the OCC Softball Stadium.
The Pirates (13-14, 7-4 in the OEC) left no doubt on the outcome by coming out early and putting seven runs on the Rustlers (15-12, 6-5) in the bottom of the second inning.
Coast used the long ball to send the message. A pair of solo HRs by Victoria Ruiz and Kimora Tuipala sandwiched the biggest hit of the game ... a grand slam off the bat of Maiah Rodriguez, which put the Pirates in front for good.
Golden West scored a pair of runs in the top of the third, but that would be it as OCC pitcher Georgia Gruber kept the Rustler bats off-balanced throughout most of the game. Gruber went all five innings and allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts to improve her record to 7-6 for the season.
Coast wrapped things up early with a three-run fifth to close the game out. An RBI-single by Kimora Tuipala was followed two batters later by a bases-loaded walk by Ruiz and a game-ending, RBI-single off the bat of pinch-hitter Sofia Sanchez.
Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI for OCC. Tuipala added two hits, a run and two RBI, Jaden Fraser went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Ruiz went 1-for-1 with a hit, two walks, a run and two RBI.
The Pirates and Rustlers will wrap up this week's series at GWC on Friday, beginning at 1 p.m. OCC's next home game will be on Thursday against Riverside City College, beginning at 2 p.m.
