El Camino College softball charges past Pasadena City College
El Camino College Warriors outfielder Alyssa Lujan prepares to swing at a pitch from Pasadena City College Lancers pitcher Austyn Helmuth (out of view) while Lancers catcher Alyssa Guzman waits for the ball, on Thursday, April 6, at the ECC Softball Field in Torrance. Lujan was named to the 2022 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Team and the 2022 All-South Coast Conference Second Team. (Elsa Rosales | The Union)
In their third meeting this season against the Pasadena City College Lancers, El Camino College overcame an early deficit to defeat the Lancers 9-3 in South Coast Conference play on April 6.
The Lancers led 2-0 with runs from first baseman Marcella Ordonez and third baseman Jaimie Harris in the first inning.
In the second inning, Warriors starting pitcher Gabriela Ortega was relieved by pitcher Destiny Ostorga, who stayed on for the remainder of the game.
Outfielder Breanna Padilla got on base with a single, then slid into second for the steal. The Warriors stole another base, this time by infielder Marisol De La Torre, and closed in on the Lancers with Padilla scoring the Warriors’ first run of the game.
Next, a score from De La Torre on an RBI from outfielder Skylar Sanchez, tied the game at 2-2.
Warriors outfielder and 2022 All-SCC First Team member Leesa Parral tripled in the third inning and scored on an RBI from infielder Malia Martin.
The Warriors continued with four more RBIs from Ortega, another from Sanchez, outfielder and 2022 NFCA All-American and 2022 All-SCC Second Team member Alyssa Lujan; and infielder and 2022 CCCAA All-Region Team member and 2022 All-SCC First Team member Kayla Inzunza.
The Warriors widened the lead to 7-2.
“I think we were really on it today. We were really having high energy and making sure we get our runners back,” Ostorga said. “We’ve been losing, but today we tried to change that. We locked it down today.”
Warriors head coach Jessica Rapoza has put more emphasis on scoring runs and getting RBIs when runners are in scoring position on second and third base.
“That’s something that up to this point in the season we’ve kind of struggled with, and so today we did a really good job of kind of cashing in,” Rapoza said. “When we got runners into our position we would get a big hit when we needed a big hit.”
The bottom of the fifth inning saw Inzunza earn two more RBIs, bringing home infielders Sarah Leyba and Viviana Tamayo to strengthen the lead at 9-2.
In the seventh inning, Ordonez scored once more for the Lancers, but the Warriors’ solidified the win.
Lancers head coach Monica Tantlinger-Marshall acknowledged Rapoza and the efforts made by the Warriors.
“El Camino’s a good ball club. She’s probably one of my best friends in the coaching world and I feel like I knew it was going to be a battle,” Tantlinger-Marshall said. “I expected this to be a very competitive game and kudos to them. They made some adjustments against our pitchers and got the runs when they needed them.”
Lancers pitcher Kiley Kraft gave credit to the Warriors and her team’s performance.
“I feel like we came out competitive. El Camino is a competitive ball team and we kind of stuck with them at first,” Kraft said. “It did get a far reach at one point, but my defense had my back and that’s all I could really ask for.”
The Warriors are now 14-12 for the season after an April 7 defeat at home at the hands of Long Beach City College. El Camino will face the Santa Ana College Dons on Monday, April 10 at the ECC Softball Field in Torrance.
Editor’s Note: Added correct softball terminology on April 10, 2023, at 12:34 p.m.
