Ending the Season

Gamer / Shortstop Katlyn Harvey started the scoring against Allan Hancock with a fourth inning solo home run. / Jorge Campos/ el Don

The Dons advanced into the Super Regionals before losing to OEC rivals

By Jorge Campos

After knocking out No. 2 seed Allan Hancock and ending the Bulldogs’ 33-game win streak, the Dons lost back-to-back games against two Orange Empire Conference rivals, ending the 2015 season.

The Dons beat Mt. San Antonio College on consecutive days, including a 13-3 mercy win, to advance into the Super Regionals.

On May 8, the Dons faced the host Bulldogs. Following three scoreless innings, shortstop Katlyn Harvey smacked a solo home run for the first run of the game. The Dons added two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh, hitting six doubles along the way. Allan Hancock plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch.

The next day, Santa Ana College lost to Cypress College, 5-2, and Santiago Canyon College, 9-8, to end the 2015 season.

The Chargers and the Hawks handed the Dons two of its final three losses in OEC play.

Cypress, which won the bracket held at Allan Hancock, advanced into the state championships for the 24th time.

Under new head coach Susie Parra, the Dons went 27-15 overall, and 16-5 in conference, finishing in second place behind the Chargers.

The Dons pitching staff surrendered the fewest hits, runs, earned runs and home runs among teams in the conference.

Five individual statistical categories had Dons in the top-three. Right-handed pitcher Tori Franks led the conference with 27 wins, and center fielder Emily Whitecavage led the conference with 36 stolen bases.