Pirate bats come alive in five-inning win over Chargers

COSTA MESA -- It was a loud and impressive start of this week's three-game series for the Orange Coast College softball team as the Pirates rolled past visiting Cypress College in a 13-5, five-inning win on Monday at the OCC Softball Stadium.

Victoria Ruiz delivered the final knockout blow for the Pirates (18-19, 12-7 in the Orange Empire Conference) with a grand slam home run to cap off OCC's six run fifth inning and ending the game early by way of the mercy rule. The 13 runs scored off of the Chargers (26-12, 13-6) are the most allowed by the Cypress pitching staff all season. 

Ruiz's blast was just one of three home runs launched by the OCC bats, joining Kelsey McNair's solo blast in the fifth and Kimora Tuipala's two-run blast in the bottom of the first. 

After Tuipala made it 2-0, Cypress' Lynsey Arostigue tied the game with a two-run home run in the top of the third.

But Coast answered back in a big way, scoring five times in the bottom of the third. Five straight OCC batters reached base, including an RBI-single by Juliana Brower, an RBI-double by Victoria Ruiz and a two-run double to right-center off the bat of Afton Janke. Jaden Fraser capped off the five-run frame with a sacrifice fly to put Coast up, 7-2.

Cypress took advantage of some erratic OCC pitching and pulled within a pair at 7-5 before McNair came into the circle and kept the Pirates in front. The sophomore righty pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed no runs, no hits and no walks with a pair of strikeouts.

McNair helped her own cause with a one-out home run to center to make it 8-5. Three batters later, Maiah Rodriguez drove in OCC's ninth run with an RBI-double to right center before Ruiz send the home fans home happy two batters later with her walkoff grand slam. 

Coast pounded out 15 hits in the win, including a 3-for-3 performance from Tuipala (single, double, home run) and a 3-for-3 day by Fraser, who scored twice and drove in a run. Ruiz went 2-for-4 with two runs and five RBI, Brower went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and McNair finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

The Pirates and Chargers will play Game 2 of this three-game series on Tuesday at the OCC Softball Stadium, beginning at 2 p.m., before the series finale at Cypress College on Thursday, also at 2 p.m.