By Noe Ortega
East Los Angeles College softball starts off the 2020 season ranked fourth in the South Coast Conference with seven wins and five losses.
Despite losing three consecutive games against El Camino, Mount San Antonio and Pasadena City College, Huskie softball still has a long season ahead.
ELAC was behind undefeated Mt. SAC in the SCC, but with yesterday’s 8-4 loss to PCC, the Huskies dropped down to fourth place in the table.
The Huskies next game will be on Saturday as they visit Moorpark College at 2 p.m.
Softball has had a busy month so far with 11 games played and two more games to come.
Softball has gotten its best start to a season since the 2014 season where they won 29 games and lost 11. They were SCC champions, but then lost to Saddleback College in the regional playoffs.
ELAC sophomore infielders Puatausaga Johnson, Priscilla Ortega and Melanie Torres have a combined 35 hits. Johnson has six runs, 12 hits and nine runs batted in with a .375batting average. While Ortega has five runs, 10 hits, two RBI’s and a .323 batting average. Torres has two runs, 13 hits,seven RBI’s and a .433 batting average.
The competition in the SCC is heavy when it comes to batting. Torres is statistically the Huskies most successful when at bat, but is ranked 10th in the SCC tied with Mt. SAC sophomore shortstop Quinn De Avila.
ELAC freshman pitcher Lauren Tate has made nine appearances on the mount, seven of them as a starter. Tate has pitched 31.1 innings allowing 15 earned runs, 13 walks and 13 strikeouts. With a 3.35 earned run average, Tate is tied in wins for second place with three other pitchers in the SCC.
ELAC freshman pitcher Raylena Valencia has made eight appearances on the mound and two of them as a starter. Valencia has 24.1 innings pitched with 13 earned runs, 11 walks, 16 strikeouts and has a 3.74 ERA.