By Douglas Gonzalez
East Los Angeles College pitcher Alashnee Medina of South Nevada High School led the Huskies to a 1-0 win at the Husky softball field yesterday. This however was no ordinary game.
On a cold, gloomy, dusky day both teams were warming up, practicing batting, throwing and catching. There were many foul or fly balls, which two of them traveled to Floral Drive.
Nobody expected the game to last so long, 11 innings. Some of the fans were screaming, “Send us home !” Both teams made noise.
In the bottom of the 11th, ELAC first baseman Larae Gonzalez had a single to win the game for the Huskies. The ball went pass Compton’s pitcher, Martha Quijano. ELAC third baseman Stephanie Lopez, who was on third base, ran home for the winning run.
“I was relieved, however, my first (at bat) was a struggle. I was frustrated with myself,” Gonzalez, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College, said.
During the winning play when Gonzalez hit the ball she said, “I took a long deep breath, before I swung.”
Medina showed a spectacular performance with her powerful arm. She struck out three batters from Compton in the top of the seventh.
“The pitching was great, and (our) second baseman Cassandra Saradia (from Los Altos High School) did not play for a while,” ELAC Head Coach Erika Blanco said, stating that Saradia did well.
“She should have scored earlier in the game, and practicing on stamina is a must to be a better the team.”
The game really did not start to intensify until after the bottom of the seventh when players were shouting and fans whistling.
One of the highlights of the game for ELAC was when catcher Valarie Aguilar, from Maywood Academy, almost had hit in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was a long drive, longest in the game towards right field, a few yards short of the fence, but was caught by Compton’s Celena Rivera. ELAC fans stood up.
Janine Lopez tripped on her shoe lace while on first base in the bottom of the fifth. She tripped so hard that the Tartars got her out.
“I was disappointed and frustrated with myself. I enjoyed how the whole team played. We are a strong team,” Janine said.
The Huskies next game will be tomorrow at 5 p.m. against Pasadena City College at ELAC’s home field.
