By Noe Ortega
Softball won its ninth game of the season yesterday, 9-5, at home against Los Angeles Harbor College.
“It was tough in terms of the weather. Harbor is a good hitting team. They don’t stop playing or give up easily, but I thought the girls did well. They put us in situations where we have runners in position to score, but they executed well,” East Los Angeles College head coach Erika Blanco said.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, sophomore pitcher Samantha Alvarado bunt a sacrifice ball that allowed sophomore infielder Jessica Hernandez to run in and score for the Huskies. Sophomore infielder Sara Serrano doubled ELAC’s lead by two after she hit a ground ball to center field so that sophomore outfielder Monne’t Manning can score a run.
Sophomore outfielder Natalie Acosta hit a sacrifice punt, but an error from LA Harbor freshman catcher Natalie Saucedo allowed sophomore infielders Destiny Avena and Serrano to run in and make it 9-5 for ELAC.
The Huskies were down by two runs in the fifth inning, but cut the lead down by one run after Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly that was caught but allowed pitch runner Stephanie Castor to score. With sophomore infielder Angelina Gonzalez on third base, Manning hit a ground ball toward the left-field and allowed Gonzalez to run in and tie the game.
Freshman pitcher Majisty Shomo came off in the top of the third inning after three earned runs. Freshman pitcher Angelita Villalvazo came on and allowed two runs and got five strikeouts for the Huskies.
“I was nervous at first, but I had to boss up and do what I had to do. I came back and I did good at the end,” Villalvazo.
In the bottom of the first inning, with sophomore outfielder Dominique De Alba on third base, Alvarado hit a run batted in single to give ELAC the first run of the game. ELAC increased its lead in the bottom of the third inning with RBI singles from Gonzalez and De Alba.
“It was really wild in the beginning, we did struggle in the fifth inning but I’m glad we were able to get back up,” De Alba.
After yesterday’s win the Huskies have an overall record of 9-9 and a South Coast Conference-North play record of 2-2.
“I feel that the girls are finally playing good together. Softball is such a team sport and it takes a while to get these girls to play well together and I’m looking forward to this year,” Blanco said.