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Softball Falls 3-1 to Defending WSC Champion AVC

Softball Falls 3-1 to Defending WSC Champion AVC
February 28, 2018

LAMC Softball fell to Western State Conference opponent Antelope Valley College Tuesday in Lancaster, dropping the Eagles to 1-1 in Conference and 10-11 overall.

AVC, the 2017 undefeated WSC champion, is ranked No. 5 in Southern California in the most recent CCCAA poll, released Feb. 9. The Marauders' win against Mission puts them at 2-0 (11-6 overall) and extends their Conference win streak to 20.

Freshman pitcher Gabriela Monge threw the complete game for Mission, giving up three earned runs in six innings.

Monge looked dominant in the early innings. Though she hit the first batter of the game with a pitch, she retired the next seven she faced before allowing another runner on base with a 1-out walk in the 3rd.

She struck out the next batter, but with two outs, the Marauders attacked. AVC left fielder Samantha Arriola tripled to bring in the runner on base, and then pitcher Taylor Roberts blasted a homerun over the center field fence to make the score 3-0. Another two singles followed, but Monge managed to induce a pop-up to 2nd base for the third out, keeping the damage to a minimum. She shut the offense down for the remainder of the game.

At the plate, the Eagles continually put pressure on the defense and barreled up on the ball. They picked up six hits throughout the game, but were unable to string them together to produce runs.

Mission threatened in the 4th, when freshman 1st baseman Ashley Silva, freshman 3rd baseman Sydney Caballero, and sophomore shortstop Mabel Calderon all singled to put runners in scoring position. But a ground-out to 2nd base ended the hit streak and kept a 0 on the scoreboard.

In the 6th, Silva was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Sophomore left fielder Isabel Mercado reached base on an error by the shortstop to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Caballero grounded into a fielder's choice out at 3rd to leave herself and Mercado on base for Calderon, who drove a ball off the right field fence – an inch from its top edge – to score Mercado from 2nd. Monge followed with a single to put Calderon on 3rd, but it would be the last hit of the day for the Eagles, and they were unable to plate another run.

Mission takes the field again Thursday against WSC rival Glendale College, at 2:30 p.m. at the Glendale Sports Complex.