Dons Rally for 5-4 Walk-Off Win Over Riverside City
For the fourth time in their last five games, the Dons had a game come down to the final inning. This time it was a 5-4 walk-off win over Riverside City College.
For the fourth time in their last five games, the Dons had a game come down to the final inning. This time it was a 5-4 walk-off win over Riverside City College.
In those four games, the Dons are 2-2 with their other walk-off win coming against Orange Coast College. They followed that with a seventh inning loss at Golden West College before Saddleback College scored the game-winner in the seventh inning on Wednesday.
Today's game, however, might have had the most drama after the Dons fell behind 4-0 in the fifth inning. Riverside (13-7, 7-3) scored a pair of runs in the first inning before getting one run across in the fourth and the fifth innings.
That's when the Dons (14-8, 5-5) offense came alive. The late rally started in the fourth inning with a leadoff bunt-single by Cheyanne Tovar before Sonia Florido reached on an infield single.
Hannah Dowling then grounded out to advance both runners before Tovar was thrown out at home on Angelica Cesena's fielder's choice. Keila Tenorio followed with a two-run double, scoring Florido and Cesena to cut the Tigers lead to 4-2.
Melissa Biddle then reached on an error, advancing Tenorio to third. Rachel Prentice, who came in to run for Biddle, was then caught in a rundown when attempting to steal second. After Prentice avoided the tag, the Tigers defense threw home but Tenorio beat the throw, making the score 4-3.
After each team stranded runners in the sixth inning, Kaitlyn Hooper made quick work of the Tigers in the seventh. She retired the side by inducing three ground balls on just four pitches to set up the Dons half of the seventh.
Dowling led the frame off by flying out to right field before Cesena, representing the tying run, was hit by a pitch. Tenorio followed with a triple to right field that scored Cesena to tie the game at 4-4.
Riverside then intentionally walked Prentice and Kristen Hooper to load the bases for Alexandra Perkins. After falling behind 1-2, Perkins hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Tenorio for the game-winning run.
Kaitlyn Hooper (11-6) pitched the entire game to pick up the win. She allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits. Nichole Zink (9-4) suffered the loss for Riverside in relief. Zink allowed two runs on one hit in 1.2 innings pitched.
