Former PCC Softball Coach Martinez Directs El Camino in Win Over PCC

It was the new coach v. the old coach with the legendary coach watching in Thursday’s South Coast Conference game between the Pasadena City College softball team and visiting El Camino. With retired, 500-plus wins coach Sandi Iverson in attendance, PCC’s first-year head coach Brittany Williams took on El Camino’s new coach and former Lancers’ head coach Elaine Martinez. In Martinez’s first visit back to Pasadena since leaving after the 2010 season, her Warriors outlasted Williams’ Lancers, 11-7, at Robinson Park.

El Camino scored nine runs in the second inning, all with two outs, to take a commanding 11-2 lead. PCC’s defense was suspect in that frame, making two errors while pitcher Casey Ramirez had control issues, walking three batters and throwing four wild pitches. Righthander Bronwyn Stewart took over for the frosh lefty starter during the second. Stewart settled down to allow no earned runs in 4-1/3 innings.

“It was a lot of fun to come back here,” said Martinez. “I enjoyed my years here at PCC and as a former player for the Lancers, it makes it special anytime I return to Pasadena. I got great experience there, and now I’m on to a new chapter in coaching El Camino.”

The Lancers are 7-13 overall and are stuck in a 6-game conference losing streak. Meanwhile, El Camino is 7-8 and a surprising 4-4 in SCC play. The Lancers beat El Camino in Torrance during the team’s first meeting, a 7-6, extra-inning win on Valentine’s Day.

The two squads combined for 21 hits and stranded 25 runners overall (13 by PCC). The Lancers ralled for two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to put a scare into ECC. Top hitter Kayla Moore returned to the lineup after missing last week due to injury and batted 3-for-5. Alyssa Gonzalez, who was moved over to third base from the outfield mid-game, added two hits and three RBI. Third baseman-first baseman Ilene Suleymanyan added two RBI while second baseman Maddy Gianoli batted 2-for-4.

“We showed some heart in battling back,” Williams said. “Right now, I’m looking for the players to show fire and they did the latter part of the game. We need to build on that. Another good thing from today was we tinkered a bit with our infield corner defense. Gonzalez looked good over at third and Ilene is a natural first baseman.”

On Tuesday in an 8-5 loss at Long Beach, sophomore centerfielder Brittany Skoien was a perfect 3-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and three RBI. Gianoli and shortstop Nikki Salas each added two hits.

[Photo-Alyssa Gonzalez chases a line drive in right field during PCC’s 11-7 loss to El Camino Thursday at Robinson Park, image by Richard Quinton.

PCC plays a non-conference, doubleheader Saturday, Mar, 10 at Los Angeles Valley College. On Tuesday, Mar. 13, the Lancers host El Camino College-Compton Center for a 2 p.m. conference matchup.