By Liliana Marquez
The softball team suffered a conference defeat last Thursday against the Long Beach City College Vikings, a 12-0, mercy-rule five-inning loss.
The Huskies host Los Angeles Valley College tomorrow at 3 p.m. The Monarchs enter the East Los Angeles softball stadium with an overall record of 10-9.
The loss to Long Beach left the Huskies with a record of 8-14 overall and 3-5 in South Coast Conference play. The Huskies lost the conference series rubber match against the Vikings (10-9, 5-3).
East Los Angeles College won the first meeting against the Vikings, 6-4, during the season’s opening series, the Glendale Community College Tournament. The Vikings won round two, 11-1, at ELAC which was during SCC play.
This game was important for both teams. The Huskies were riding a 4-2 record in their last six games and needed a victory to improve their conference record.
The Vikings were looking for their second consecutive victory and having home-field advantage gave them the boost they needed.
The problems for the Huskies started early in the top of the first inning as the Huskies went three-and-out. The Vikings then scored six runs, four unearned, off five hits against the Huskies.
During the second inning, the Huskies had their lone hit off of Husky short stop Natalie Gutierrez. The Vikings responded with three runs off one hit while leaving two on base.
The Huskies went three-and-out in the top of the third inning, while the Vikings scored one run off two hits. The Huskies got out of a jam in the bottom of the third closing out the inning with three Vikings left on base.
The Vikings accumulated two more runs and four hits to crush the Huskies. ELAC returned home with their first conference defeat on the road.