Softball: Long Beach knocks off El Camino 7-2 for SCC win

Sophomore Doreen Corella (San Pedro HS) went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI while sophomore Andrea Barba (Cypress HS) launched a solo home run to help lead Long Beach City College to a 7-2 South Coast Conference victory over visiting El Camino College on Tuesday. The win improved the Vikings to 13-12 overall and 5-6 in conference play.

Long Beach totaled 11 hits to hand El Camino (16-10, 7-4) just its fourth conference loss of the season.

The Vikings set the tone in the third inning by jumping on Warriors' starting pitcher Natalie Francis for five runs. Sophomore Vanessa Valdez (Lakewood HS) started the rally with a lead-off double down the left-field line and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and ECC error by sophomore Brianna Alvarez (Montebello HS). Freshman Yulissa Dominguez (Santa Fe HS) followed with a double to right center to score Valdez before Corella smacked a two-run single to center that drove in Alvarez and Dominguez.

Two batters later, freshman Daisy Velasquez (Bellflower HS) chased Francis from the circle with a RBI single to drive in Corella. Sophomore Erika Balboa (Gahr HS) greeted El Camino relief pitcher Haley Reed with a double off the wall in left center to score Velasquez and cap the five-run inning.

Alvarez manufactured the Vikings' next run in the fourth as she singled, stole second base, moved to third on an error, and came in to score on a wild pitch. Barba closed out the Vikings' scoring in the fifth with her two-out shot over the fence in straightaway center field. Long Beach was up 7-0 but couldn't get an eighth run to put into effect the mercy rule.

Long Beach starting pitcher Brooke Loard (Millikan HS) was cruising through the Warriors' lineup and allowed just one hit over the first five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. She issued a lead-off walk to Maleigh Quintero before Kammy Fisher hit a two-run home run to cut the LBCC lead to five runs.

Loard stranded a pair of runners in the sixth and retired El Camino in order in the seventh to close out the victory. She allowed two runs and four hits in the complete-game effort and improved to 6-7 on the season.

At the plate for Long Beach, Alvarez and Valdez both had two hits to help pace the offense.

Francis took the loss for El Camino to fall to 9-5. She allowed four earned runs and six hits over 2 1/3 innings.

Long Beach looks to win its third straight SCC contest on Thursday (Mar. 24) when the Vikings travel to Los Angeles Harbor College for a 3 p.m. game.