The Long Beach City College softball team took to the road on Saturday for a doubleheader against the Grossmont College Griffiths. The Vikings dropped a pair of contests by a one-run differential by the final scores of 4-3 and 5-4, respectfully.
In game one, the Vikings got off to a rough start by allowing the Griffiths to plate two runs in the bottom of the first inning. However, freshman pitcher Alissa Cienfuegos (Long Beach, CA) recovered well and blanked Grossmont through the following three frames. Through that span, she recorded three strikeouts.
The Vikings cracked the goose egg in the top of the fourth inning as freshman center fielder Alvia Soulliere (Paramount, CA) laced a double down the left-field line, plating Cienfuegos who reached via double a batter earlier.
The doubles train continued to chug for Long Beach in the in the top of the fifth inning with freshman catcher Samantha Ontiveros (Norwalk, CA) barreling a two bagger to score freshman shortstop Amanda McCalip (Bellflower, CA) who lead off the inning with a single. Freshman pinch runner Nicole Elizalde (Bellflower, CA) came around to score on a double from sophomore second baseman Daisy Velasquez (Bellflower, CA) to take the lead at 3-2.
However, Grossmont was able to notch two more runs with one coming in the bottom of the seventh inning handing the Vikings a 4-3 loss in walk off fashion.
In the second contest of the doubleheader, freshman arm Vanessa Montanez (Lakewood, CA) earned the nod in the circle and battled through six innings. After allowing an uncharacteristic four spot in the bottom of the third inning, she kept the Vikings within striking distance by chucking three scoreless frames in the latter half of her start.
LBCC struck first in the game Velasquez notching a double to score freshman right fielder Alijah Vega (Bellflower, CA). Cienfuegos followed the next inning by launching a leadoff homerun for her second round tripper of the season. Ontiveros came through again to compliment the homerun by poking an RBI single to the outfield to score sophomore third baseman Denise Flores (Carson, CA).
After the Griffiths inked a four spot in the bottom of the third inning, a sacrifice fly from freshman center fielder Cynthia Ruiz (Long Beach, CA) in the top of the seventh was not enough en route to a 5-4 loss.
Cienfuegos is the hottest hitter for the Vikings after going 3-for-6 with a double, homerun, an RBI, and two runs scored through the doubleheader. In her last five games, she has gone 7-for-13 with a double and two homeruns.
The Vikings (7-7) will face off against East Los Angeles College on Tuesday, February 28th on the road at 3 p.m.