The Pasadena City College softball team knew South Coast Conference play would be a difficult grind and it's showing in a tough 0-5 start and a current 6-game losing streak overall.

State #14-ranked Long Beach City handed PCC (3-9 record) a 9-1 defeat in five innings in a SCC game at Robinson Park on Tuesday.

Catcher Alyssa Guzman was 2-for-2 and drove in the Lancers lone run in the third inning on a double, scoring shortstop Breanna Negrete, who had singled. LBCC winning pitcher Mariah Zapata limited PCC to only four hits. Vikings' rightfielder Alynna Gonzalez slugged a 3-run homer. 

In a home contest on March 1, East Los Angeles downed the Lancers, 9-5. Leftfielder Alysa Rojas batted 2-for-4 while starting pitcher Leiana Rodriguez was 1-for-2 with two runs and two walks. ELAC used a 6-run, sixth inning that erased a 3-2 Pasadena lead.

On Feb. 29 at #17 Cerritos, the Lancers were blanked 8-0 in a 5-inning contest (mercy rule). Rodriguez, played second base, went 2-for-3 as Falcons' winning pitcher Reanna Carraza twirled a 3-hitter with five strikeouts. 

In a non-conference game at state #10 Orange Coast on Feb. 27, the Pirates sent the Lancers to a 9-1 loss that ended in the sixth. Negrete knocked in PCC's run on a fifth-inning double. Second baseman Adriana Valdez batted 1-for-1 with a walk and Guzman hit a double. OCC hit five doubles, two by catcher Lydia Gonzalez who added two RBI.

On Feb. 23 in a SCC game at Compton, Guzman ripped a grand slam home run in the third for a 4-2 lead, but Compton rallied to win 7-4. Negrete was 2-for-3 with a stolen base.

Utility player Alyssa Hernandez, the team's leading hitter with a .382 average plus three triples and eight stolen bases, has left the team due to personal reasons.

Guzman, a letterman, is batting .361 with nine RBI, Valdez .355, Rodriguez .333, and first baseman Monica Gutierrez is hitting .310 with a team-high 14 RBI.

PCC's next conference game is this Friday, Mar. 8 at #6 Mt. San Antonio College, a 1 p.m. first pitch.