It took extra innings to decide a winner on Thursday evening as the Long Beach City College women's softball team squared off against the Chaffey College Panthers. The Vikings stranded 12 runners-on-base and made some costly defensive blunders en route to a 6-3 defeat after nine innings of action.
The Vikings had multiple opportunities and spoiled lead off base hits in four innings. In each of those innings, the score was tied.
Chaffey earned the first two runs of the game off a pair of throwing error by the Vikings in the second and third innings to put LBCC in an early 2-0 hole.
However, LBCC got one run back in the bottom of the third inning as freshman second baseman Daisy Velasquez (Bellflower, CA) dashed home off a throwing error from the Panther's second baseman to trim the deficit to 2-1.
After Chaffey expanded their lead to 3-1 in the top of the third inning, LBCC worked to tie up the contest as pinch runner Nicole Elizadle (Bellflower, CA) came around to score on a RBI-single to left field off the bat of freshman right fielder Alijah Vega (Bellflower, CA). Sophomore third baseman Denise Flores (Carson, CA) promptly singled to right field two batter later to bring the score to 3-3 after four full frames.
Freshman starting pitcher Alissa Cienfuegos (Carson, CA) began to settle in in the top of the fifth inning as she retired the side in order while recording a punch out. She followed by retiring the side in the top of the seventh and eighth innings to put the Vikings in a good position offensively.
However, the Vikings stranded a combined four runners-on-base in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings. Chaffey then worked to plate three runs in the top of the ninth inning, handing Long Beach a 6-3 defeat.
Cienfuegos (4-5) picked up the loss after being tagged for six runs – three of them being earned. She recorded a career-high nine strikeouts. Velasquez went 2-for-5 on the day with one run scored. Freshman shortstop Amanda McCalip (Bellflower, CA) and Cienfuegos notched the lone extra base hits.
Long Beach (8-8) will face off against Santa Barbara City College on Saturday, March 4th at home at 1 p.m.