After posting the best start in its South Coast Conference history at 7-0, the Pasadena City College softball team ran into a downturn. The Lancers lost three straight in conference play from Mar. 28-April 3, but have since righted their ship with back-to-back, SCC wins on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Lancers, who went from #15, then #17 in the state poll before dropping out of the State Top 20 this week, used a grand slam and a 6-RBI afternoon by slugging third baseman Jaimie Harris to beat host East Los Angeles, 8-3, on Wednesday.
Harris, who singled in a run to help Pasadena take a 2-0 first-inning lead, launched her SCC-leading (fifth in state) ninth home run, a soaring shot over the left field fence. It was her second grand slam of the season and the sophomore is now just one roundtripper away from tying the school record for homers in a season. PCC led 7-0 in the second inning and rode the 4-hit, complete game pitching of Elena Bahnimtewa (4-1) to record the victory.
Harris was 2-for-3 and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to give her second 6-RBI game of the season (knocked in six at Moorpark on Feb. 7). Her 33 RBI tops SCC batters and places her tied for fifth in the state in that category.
Leftfielder Olivia Nanez went 2-for-4 with two RBI, second baseman Gigi Leyva was 2-for-3, and first baseman Marcella Ordonez hit 1-for-3 with a triple and a stolen base. The left-handed hitting Ordonez leads the Lancers in batting with a .365 average.
On Tuesday, PCC posted a 10-4 win at Los Angeles Harbor as Austyn Helmuth (3-4 in the circle) scattered eight hits in going the complete-game route. Catcher Alyssa Guzman batted 3-for-4 and drove in 3 RBI while rightfielder Arlyne Ruiz went 2-for-4. Leyva was 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases. Ordonez 1-for-2 with two walks.
On Monday, the Lancers were shut out for the first time since opening day v. Palomar in a surprising 6-0 loss to visiting Rio Hondo in windy conditions at Robinson Park. Kraft pitched a complete game and kept it close until the Roadrunners touched her four runs in the seventh. Clarissa Evangelista shut down PCC's bats to just three hits. Ordonez was 1-for-3 with a line double to left center as the lone hitting highlight.
On April 1, the Lancers rallied from down 4-0 to post a 7-4, non-conference win at Riverside City College. Nanez hit 3-for-4 with two doubles while Ordonez was 2-for-3. Rightfielder Gabi Perez went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and one RBI.
The game changed when Kraft came into relieve in the third. The sophomore pitcher limited the Tigers to just two hits and no runs over the last five innings to improve to 8-2 in the circle. In the sixth, a double steal produced the game-winning run when catcher Jennie Chacon stole second and centerfielder Breanna Rodriguez roared home.
On Mar. 31, first-place Mt. San Antonio used a 5-hitter by Mirannda Rodriguez to down the host Lancers, 6-1. Helmuth pitched well in defeat, going the 7-inning route, allowing only three earned runs as she was hurt by four PCC errors. Kraft, pinch hitting, broke a shutout with a seventh-inning, RBI single.
The Lancers in a fierce, make-up mode and continue their string of games this week today in a 3 p.m. SCC contest at #18-ranked El Camino College.
