Despite a tight start to the game, a double in the fourth inning from freshman catcher Miranda Aguilar set off an offensive spark that would lead the Warriors to victory.
It proved to be the catalyst for El Camino’s 8-1 home win over Santa Monica College (4-6) last Friday.

“It was a team effort,” said freshman center fielder Marissa Padillo about the triumph. “Everyone was doing their job hitting and making plays.”

Aguilar’s double proved vital as the momentum led the Warriors to scoring two more runs in the fourth inning with some help from a Padillo RBI. This after having the score deadlocked for the first two innings.

“It was a one to one game for a couple of innings and we finely got the timing right.” said freshman third baseman, Danielle Bonsky.

El Camino’s defense was also strong as the Warriors amounted an impressive nine strikeouts, four from Bonsky and five from freshman Reina Trejo.

“[Bonsky] had bases loaded in the sixth inning and she ended up striking out the next three batters to keep them from scoring. So, she shut them out in that inning too,” said coach Elaine Martinez.

Despite taking a 4-1 lead after the fourth, the remainder of the game did not prove to be an easy task for the Warriors.

“I never felt comfortable until that last out,” Martinez said. “You just never know. That’s gonna be the case with most teams this season. We just gotta play a solid seven innings and we’ll be alright.”

The victory was especially uplifting for the team after a heavy defeat to defending South Coast Champions, Mt. St. Antonio on Feb. 13 which El Camino lost 10-2.

“We had injuries and players out of position,” said coach Martinez about the prior loss. “We were still in the game and that gave us some confidence. We took the good from those first four innings and just built on that for Friday’s game.”

The win showed El Camino’s ability to bounce back from defeat and the players felt the morale boost from the victory.

“[The win] got us pumped up and gave us confidence,” Trejo said. “It ensured us that we can hit and that if we do play as a team we can beat any team.”

Four more Warrior runs in the fifth and sixth inning put the game out of reach for Santa Monica making the final score 8-1. El Camino’s record stands at 6-5 overall after this win. They await an important encounter away to Conference opponents Compton College (7-1) on Thursday.