Dons Snap 19-Game Losing Streak to Cypress with Walk-off 4-3 Win

Sabrina Perez drives this pitch through the right side to score Becky Poirier for the Dons game-winning run in their 4-3 win over Cypress College.
Sabrina Perez drives this pitch through the right side to score Becky Poirier for the Dons game-winning run in their 4-3 win over Cypress College.

SANTA ANA - The Dons defeated Cypress College 4-3 on a walk-off single to snap a 19-game losing streak to the Chargers. The last Dons (11-3, 2-2) win over the Chargers (7-3, 4-1) was a 1-0 victory in the final game of the 2006 season.

With the game tied 3-3, the Dons pushed the game-winning run across in the bottom of the seventh inning with Becky Poirier reaching on an error to start the frame before Alexandra Perkins advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt. After a foul-out left the Dons down to their final out, Sabrina Perez drove a hit through the right side allowing Poirier to score.

The 3-3 tie was set up after each team scored a run in the first inning before Cypress took a 3-1 lead in the second. The Dons first inning run came on a RBI-single by Perez.

The Dons pulled within one run in the third inning when Kelsey Choate hit a leadoff double before scoring on a RBI-single by Devon Rodriguez. The equalizing run came in the fourth inning when Perkins singled in Marissa Ross from second.

Rodriguez (5-0) remained undefeated on the season as she allowed the three early runs on seven hits. After allowing the early runs, Rodriguez settled down and, at one point, retired 10-straight batters from the third through the sixth innings. Her counterpart, Alyssia Palamino (1-2), suffered the loss as she allowed all four runs on nine hits over 6.1 innings of work.

The Dons return to action on Friday, March 1 when they host district-rival Santiago Canyon College at 2:00 p.m.