By Noe Ortega
The Huskies ended its season 18-22 overall and 3-9 in the South Coast Conference-North. Yesterday East Los Angeles College defeated Chaffey College 6-5 in a back-and-forth game to break an eight-game losing streak last Thursday.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, ELAC was tied 5-5 and had a player on first and second base when freshman right-fielder, Destiny Avena, slammed the ball towards center-field to bring home sophomore offensive player Griselda Vasquez to win the game for the Huskies.
“I didn’t feel nervous at bat. For some reason I felt like I was at ease, because I felt that the batter before me got her job done and I felt like it was my turn to get my job done. I felt like the pressure was off when the person in front of you got their job done,” said Avena.
ELAC is out of contention to make the playoffs even with Thursday’s win. ELAC freshman backup catcher Ashley Castillo made a risky play in the bottom of the seventh inning with a bunt that Chaffey freshman relief pitcher Jocelyn Juarez could’ve easily thrown to home plate to win the game for them.
The Huskies took the lead early in the first inning after freshman shortstop Angelica Gonzalez hit a run batted in, where freshman first baseman Samantha Alvarado scored the first run of the game.
The Huskies continued to be aggressive after Vasquez hit a ball deep into the center-field to bring home sophomore third baseman Andrea Rocha and make the score 2-0.
In the top of the third, Chaffey began to go on the offensive with an RBI double from freshman third baseman Amberly Dietrich that brought home sophomore shortstop Cassie Seymour and sophomore center-fielder Samantha Warner to tie the game 2-2. Chaffey then took the lead with an RBI single from sophomore left fielder Joelie Whitson that brought home Dietrich and took the lead 3-2.
The last time ELAC played Chaffey, the Huskies had a 11-5 lead over Chaffey going into the seventh inning and ended up losing that game 12-11.
The Huskies were down by one run, but they immediately responded in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single from freshman center-fielder Mone’t Manning that brought home Rocha to tie the game 3-3.
ELAC then took the lead after sophomore designated player Maddie Roberts hit an RBI single so that Vasquez could regain the lead for the Huskies 4-3.
In the sixth inning Vasquez switched to designated player while Alvarado moved to pitcher.
Vasquez allowed three runs and nine hits. Alvarado came into the game with a player on first and second base and allowed a walk that loaded the bases.
In an attempt to prevent Chaffey from tying the game, Avena threw the ball all the way from right field to home plate where freshman catcher Sandra Vargas got the first out for the Huskies.
Vargas had to leave the game after colliding with Chaffey freshman catcher Bryana Martinez.
Chaffey tied the game after Alvarado allowed her third walk on since switching to pitcher. “Obviously anytime you win it feels great, but this is a journey. We bring in these freshman for a two year process, so I love the growth that they’re doing,” said ELAC head coach Erika Blanco.
Blanco says she is excited for next season’s team due to the majority of this year’s team being freshman. In the top of the fifth inning, the Huskies lost the lead off an RBI single from Chaffey third baseman Dietrich.
Chaffey is the only opponent in the SCC-North that ELAC was able to defeat in a three-game series.
ELAC defeated Rio Hondo College 4-1 at home yesterday to finish third in the SCC-North.
game of the season yesterday. C/N Diego Linares