Pirates knock off No. 1 El Camino, 2-1

TORRANCE -- The Orange Coast College softball team pulled off a VERY impressive win, knocking off previously-unbeaten, and state No. 1-ranked El Camino College, 2-1, on Tuesday at ECC.

In a rematch of OCC's only blemish to its season, the Pirates (7-1) returned the favor and gave the Warriors (9-1) their first loss of 2025 as well.

Coast scored its two runs in the top half of the second when Maiah Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI-triple off the bat of Kayla Vargas. Reyna Hernandez brought in Vargas with a sacrifice fly and from there, the Pirates tried to keep one of the top offenses in the state off of the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Daniella Sanchez (3-0) was outstanding through the first five innings, holding ECC to no runs on just three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

In the sixth, the Pirates turned to Kelsey McNair to close things out and she did, but not without some serious drama thrown into the mix.

El Camino welcomed McNair with a single, an RBI double, a walk and a wild pitching, trimming the Pirates' lead to 2-1 and putting the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third with nobody out.

But the hard-throwing righty buckled down and got the first out on a play at the plate, then struck out the next two batters to end the threat. 

There was more drama in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff hit-by-pitch and successful sacrifice bunt put the tying run on second base with one out for the Warriors, but McNair took care of business once again with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, picking up her fourth save of the season.

ECC's Lexi Ramirez (7-1) took the hardluck loss, going the distance and allowing just two runs on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Vargas finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while Olivia Pedraza went 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot.

The Pirates will have to refocus and get back to work on Wednesday as they host Mt. San Antonio College, beginning at 2:30 p.m.