The Pasadena City College softball team is in a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Audriana Gutierrez. While the Lancers have found wins hard to come by, PCC continues to battle opponents in and out of the South Coast Conference.
On Saturday playing a tri-tourney at Fullerton College, the Lancers lost to SoCal #1 RPI Fullerton, 13-4, then put a scare into #8 Bakersfield, taking a 5-0 lead before the Renegades rallied to defeat PCC, 7-6.
Pasadena (3-15 overall, 0-9 in SCC play) is hoping to break a 12-game losing streak this week, as it hosts Cerritos College in a conference game on Thursday, Mar. 21. First pitch is 2:30 p.m. at the program's off-campus home diamond--Robinson Park.
Against Bakersfield, infielder Alexis Garcia hit a 2-run double during a 5-run, second inning. Shortstop Breanna Negrete reached base all four times, going 1-for-1 and drawing three walks while centerfielder Natalie Shahin was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
In the loss to Fullerton, Monica Gutierrez drove in two runs on a pinch-hit single and catcher Lucero Alcaraz was 1-for-3 with a RBI.
On Friday, Compton handed PCC a 6-3 home defeat despite a 2-run homer by Negrete in the fifth inning. Alcaraz's sacrifice fly cut it to 4-3 in the sixth, but Compton scored two in the top of the seventh to pull away. Leiana Rodriguez was outstanding in relief as she pitched 6.2 innings, allowing just six hits, three runs (two earned), walking one and striking out two. Pasadena was plagued defensively by making five errors.
Gutierrez, the team's regular first baseman, and Rodriguez are tied for the team batting lead with .333 averages. Gutierrez leads the squad in RBI with 16 while Rodriguez has a solid .500 on-base percentage, drawing 15 walks. Negrete is hitting .296 with a team-high five doubles and 10 RBI.
