Softball Keeps Momentum, Wins 4th Straight

The Pasadena City College softball team won its fourth consecutive game and remained in third place in the South Coast Conference with a 10-1, 5-inning victory over winless El Camino College-Compton Center Tuesday at Robinson Park.

The Lancers are 14-8 overall and 6-3, tied with El Camino for third place in the SCC. Mt. San Antonio and Cerritos hold a 2-game lead over PCC with 8-1 conference marks.

Kelly Bernal tossed five innings of 3-hit ball to improve to 2-0 in the pitching circle.

The winless Tartars (0-16, 0-9) held PCC’s bats down until the third inning when the Lancers scored four runs, two on a single to center by first baseman Karen Najera. PCC tacked on five more in the fourth. Centerfielder Cynthia McKeehan hit a triple and scored the Lancers first run in the first. Designated player Holly Riker-Sloan batted 2-for-3 with a double and second baseman Anais Sustayta was 2-for-2. Rightfielder Derek Blow drove in two RBI and was 1-for-2.

It was PCC’s third straight win by the mercy rule (8-run lead after five innings). On March 12, the Lancers swept a road doubleheader over Victor Valley with routs of 12-3 in game 1 and 17-4 in the second game.

In the opener, pitcher Lauren Jackson won her first collegiate game, throwing all five innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. At the plate, Najera (double, two RBI), third baseman Raeleen Fuentes, and McKeehan all had two hits while Blow tripled with two RBI. Riker-Sloan and Sustayta also knocked in two runs each.

In game 2, Bernal batted 3-for-5 with four RBI and pitched the final three innings for the victory. Reserve outfielder Lourdes Arellano went 2-for-2 with four runs scored while third baseman Brittany Ching was 2-for-2.

Coach Monica Tantlinger’s Lancers look to extend their streak to five straight on Thursday, Mar. 17 when they host Los Angeles Harbor College. First pitch is 2 p.m. Since the start of last season, PCC is 35-25 under Tantlinger’s leadership.