After giving up three runs in the top of the sixth inning, the El Camino softball team’s offense led a come-from-behind walk-off win in its last-home game of the regular season.

The Warriors (26-13, 14-6) overcame a four-run deficit late in the game to defeat the Saddleback College Gauchos (16-19), 7-6.

“I feel like we just had a big lack of focus (early on),” EC coach Jessica Rapoza said. “We kind of seemed like we were just going through the motions, but we started hitting pretty good toward the fifth inning.”

Excellent defensive execution from both teams kept the game scoreless through two innings until the Gauchos opened the scoring in the third inning with three runs on a couple of base hits.

El Camino answered back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring a run on a double from freshman center fielder Raelani Camez.

Freshman pitcher Natalie Francis tossed five and two-third innings, allowing 11 hits and three earned runs, before being relieved by freshman Brooke Sarro.

“(Brooke) did great,” Rapoza said. “She gave us really good momentum and our defense played really good for her because she got ahead of a lot of batters.”

Sarro finished the game throwing a hitless top half of the seventh inning to setup the home team for the rally.

With one out and runners on second and third base, freshman right-fielder Kattya Calderon knocked a two-RBI double to left centerfield to allow the Warriors to escape with a walk-off win.

“I was pretty confident and I felt like I was in the right situation at the right moment and my team trusted me, so I just needed to make it up to them and get that hit,” Calderon said. “Brooke came in throwing some first pitch strikes and our defense was confident and played really well behind her.”

El Camino finished with 10 hits in 30 at-bats, while Saddleback College had 11 hits in 30 at-bats.

• Camez led the home team with three hits in four plate appearances and two RBIs.
• Calderon had two hits in four at-bats, and two RBIs as well.
• Freshmen left fielder Taylor Richter, first baseman Haley Reed, first baseman Kammy Fisher, second baseman Kassandra Hernandez and Quintero all contributed with one hit each.

“We started out slow and our energy was not where it should have been,” Fisher said. “(But) Brook came in and dominated on the mound and it really got everyone pumped and we closed the game out in a big way.”

El Camino will play its final game of the season on the road at El Camino-Compton Center (0-27, 0-20) on Tuesday at 3 p.m.