Natalie Wolf's Pinch Hit Single Lifts Dons in 4-3 Win over Riverside City

Natalie Wolf drives a single through the middle of the infield to score the game-tying and winning runs in the Dons 4-3 win over Riverside City College. Head Coach Jessica Rapoza watches in the foreground. (Photo courtesy of Tony McAndrew)
Natalie Wolf drives a single through the middle of the infield to score the game-tying and winning runs in the Dons 4-3 win over Riverside City College. Head Coach Jessica Rapoza watches in the foreground. (Photo courtesy of Tony McAndrew)

SANTA ANA - The Dons needed late-inning heroics to pick up their latest win and they got just that from Sabrina Perez and Natalie Wolf in their 4-3 win over Riverside City College. The win improves to Dons to 14-1 overall and 3-1 in conference while Riverside falls to 7-2 while suffering their first OEC loss to drop to 3-1.

The visiting Tigers broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth inning, setting up the Dons rally in the bottom half of the inning. Perez sparked the rally with a lead-off solo home run before Keila Tenorio was hit by a pitch.

After a successful sacrifice bunt by Karina Rosas, Paolena Comouche reached on an error that advanced Rosas to third. Comouche then stole second before a strikeout, putting her in scoring position. Wolf followed with a single through the middle of the infield that easily scored Rosas from third. But there was a play at the plate after that with Comouche just beating the throw to put the Dons ahead.

Frances Campoy then came in looking to end the game and quickly struck out the first two batters of the seventh. After an infield single, Campoy got the next batter to ground out into a fielder's choice, sealing the win for the Dons.

Prior to the late rally, Riverside scored the first run of the game in the third inning on an error before the Dons tied the game in the bottom of the third on a RBI-double by Alyssa Yglesias. Riverside's two runs in the sixth came on a two-run single by Jessica Valenzuela.

Campoy (5-1) picked up the win in relief as she pitched the final 4.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits with six strikeouts. She came in for Lindsey Esparza who started the game and allowed one run on two hits in 2.1 innings. For Riverside, MacKenzie Maxwell (3-1) took her first loss of the season after allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits over six innings.