COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Armbruster Leads Orange Coast to Victory Over Fullerton

Kelsi Armbruster kept Orange Coast in the game with her pitching and helped end Fullerton’s hopes with her bat as OCC won, 3-2, in 11 innings in an Orange Empire Conference softball game Friday at Fullerton.

Armbruster (13-6) allowed four hits and two runs in 10 2/3 innings for the victory. She had retired 15 in a row and and 24 of 25 before Alicia Robles tripled with two outs in the 11th.

Robles scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 3-2. Armbruster next walked Melissa Graham and was replaced by Kristen Varague, who struck out Tricia Wedekind for the save.

Orange Coast (27-11-2, 14-3) has a two-game lead over Cypress with four left. The teams meet May 2 in the regular-season finale.

Fullerton (21-16, 11-6) won its first nine conference games but is now four back and has lost two of three to OCC.

Armbruster’s two-out single in the 11th scored Nicole Shammas to put OCC ahead, 2-1. Annie Presutti then singled off the third-base bag to score Tami Dowlin and put the Pirates up, 3-1.

Dowlin also contributed with her defense at second. She reached high for a line drive and ranged far to her left to get a ground-ball out. Both plays came in the 10th.

Fullerton used two errors and a passed ball to score in the first and OCC came back in the second on an RBI double by Stefanie Ritchey to tie it.