SANTA ANA - Needing just two outs to force a deciding game three, the Dons were unable to hold on as College of the Desert got a two-run, walk-off home run to complete the sweep with a 7-6 victory in the California Community College Athletic Association Softball Southern Regional Championships.
The loss ends the Dons season with a 26-16 overall record while Desert (31-8) moves on to the CCCAA Softball Southern Super Regional Championships next weekend.
The Dons, who were the designated visiting team, held a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning and got the leadoff batter to pop out for the first out. But a full-count walk was issued, setting up Karina Romero for the game-winning, two-run home run. Romero, who was the Foothill Conference Player of the Year, was just 1-for-8 in the series going into her final at bat.
The late-innings drama was set up by comebacks by both teams earlier in the game. Desert jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with two runs in the first before Alexandra Perkins cut the lead in half with a solo home run in the third.
But Desert would go back up by two in the bottom of the third when Danyelle Sturm, who was hit by a pitch to start the frame, came around to score on Ashlee Stolarski's RBI-single.
That lead wouldn't last for long, however, as the Dons rallied for three runs with two outs in the top of the fourth inning. After the first two batters were retired in order, Mina Pavao drew a walk before Eryn Martinez singled through the right side.
Genna Main then reached on an error, allowing Pavao to come around and score from second. Perkins then hit a RBI-single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3 before Danielle Hernandez drove in the go-ahead run in the next at bat.
Staying true to the flow of the game, Desert came back to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth on Sturm's leadoff home run.
The Dons would answer again with a pair of runs in the sixth inning to go up 6-4. After Desert intentionally walked Sabrina Perez with two outs, Alyssa Yglesias answered the call with a two-run single that gave the Dons the lead.
Desert got one run back in the bottom of the sixth when Sturm singled in Miranda Romero, setting up the walk-off home run one inning later.
Alyssa Fuimaono (16-4) pitched two separate stretches of the game to get her second win of the series. She ended with a final line of two runs on three hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Chantal Oelrich (12-8) took the loss for the Dons as she allowed two runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.
