In her last three starts, Austyn Helmuth showed the mastery in the pitching circle she performed in 2019 as a freshman and 2020 in the pandemic season cut short. The veteran sophomore used her arsernal of different pitches to befuddle Citrus batters and Jaimie Harris delivered a walk-off RBI line drive single to right to give the Lancers a 3-2, non-conference win on Wednesday at Robinson Park.
The Lancers improved to 23-12 overall as they play another non-conference, makeup game today v. Chaffey in a 2:30 p.m. home diamond, first pitch.
Helmuth (6-5) pitched her third consecutive, complete-game victory, in a 4-hitter as she allowed no walks and both runs were unearned. It was her 22nd career win. She only threw 60 pitches and fielded her position well by defending five combackers for outs to first.
Trailing 2-0, PCC rallied to tie it in the fith on a Texas League, RBI single by Giselle Lopez and Harris' booming run-scoring, ground-rule double that hit the base of the centerfield fence.
In the bottom of the seventh, centerfielder Breanna Rodriguez led off by dropping a bunt single and moved to second on another great sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Jennie Chacon. After Marcella Ordonez struck out, a wild pitch in the dirt in front of the Citrus catcher allowed Rodriguez to advance to third. With two outs, Harris delivered as she has done all season as her screaming liner to right went off the leaping glove attempt by Owls' rightfielder Jillian Walker for the game-winning hit.
Harris, the team's third baseman, finished 2-for-4 while first baseman Ordonez was 1-for-3 with a stolen base and had a potential double robbed by Citrus leftfielder Patty Rodriguez on a running catch in left center to end the third inning. Rightfielder Arlyne Ruiz added a double (1-for-3).
On Tuesday, state #10-ranked Long Beach City defeated the visiting Lancers, 7-3. Shortstop Danielle Ruiz doubled in two runs in the third for a brief 2-0 lead, but the Vikings responded with four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. Harris batted 2-for-4 while Ordonez was 1-for-2 with a RBI single in the seventh and drew two walks.
