Softball Wins Conference Opener

L.A. Mission softball hosted Citrus College in the conference opener and won in dramatic fashion.

At the top of the 7th inning Citrus was batting with two outs, a runner on second and holding the lead at 13-10.

Citrus hit a double to deep center field and the Eagles scrambled to get the ball home to prevent another run.

Mission catcher Saraina Cruz caught the ball and waited at home plate to tag out the runner heading her way.

The two players collided hard, and fell to the ground.

As they got up, tempers were rising and they exchanged words as teammates and officials separated them before things got out of hand.

After the play, umpires and staff met on the field to discuss what happened.

The officials ejected two Citrus players from the game for leaving the dugout following the incident and with no legal substitutions left on their roster, the visiting team was forced to forfeit.

The final score after all was said and done is a 7-0 Eagles win.

It had been an offensively impressive game for both teams up to the final inning.

Mission caught fire in the bottom of the first inning with 7 runs to start the game.

The Eagles played good team ball even with the recent loss of one of their biggest weapons, Bianca Lopez, to an ankle injury last weekend.

Mission’s next games will be on Tuesday, March 14 at Glendale College at 1 & 3 p.m.