Doubleheader Sweep At Southwestern Lifts Softball Spirits

The Pasadena City College softball team excelled in all three key areas--hitting, defense and pitching--and it resulted in a non-conference, doubleheader sweep at Southwestern, 8-6 in game 1 and 5-2 in game 2, on Saturday.

The Lancers (4-13 overall) banged out a season-high 14 hits in the opener as leftfielder Jaimie Harris and third baseman Priscilla Ortega each batted 3-for-5. In a 5-run, second inning, second baseman Montserra Fukumoto hit a 2-RBI single to center and winning pitcher Kimberly Dea added a 2-run single to left. 

Southwestern scored five in the fifth and cut PCC's lead to 7-6. Mika Ibarra relieved Dea and earned the save with three innings of 4-hit shutout ball. She stranded runners at second and third to close out the victory that ended a 5-game losing streak for the Lancers. Catcher Aniya Kessell went 2-for-3 scored two runs while rightfielder Giselle Lopez was 1-for-2 with a RBI single and a walk. 

In game 2, winning pitcher Kiley Kraft helped herself out and broke a 2-2 tie with the game-winning RBI on a single. Dea, the rightfielder, followed with a RBI triple and scored on the same play on a throwing error to home for insurance runs. In the bottom of the seventh, Kraft faced a bases-loaded situation by wiggled out of the jam by getting Alexandria Garcia to ground out to her for a complete-game performance. 

Designated player Vianey Orozco had a solid afternoon batting 3-for-4 after hitting a double in the opener. Ortega was 3-for-3 to give her six hits on the day, and Dea was 2-for-4. 

In second game, PCC extended a streak of 14 straight games with at least one stolen base. The team has 28 stolen bases this season, nine by shortstop Gizelle Leyva. 

For PCC, its first trip through South Coast Conference play was rough and the Lancers (0-7 in conference) are still looking for their first SCC win as they play at El Camino College on Tuesday, March 8 at 3 p.m.