Cuesta Softball hosted College of the Canyons for a battle between of two of the six teams in the CCCAA nicknamed the Cougars.  Canyons won the opener, 7-2, and took the nightcap in a run-rule victory, 15-6.  Cuesta's Freshman Outfielder Emily Valdez continued her recent tear and was a bright spot in the opener.  Valdez recorded all three of Cuesta's hits in the first game.  She went 3-for-3 and scored a run, while also collecting a pair of stolen bases.  Valdez, who went hitless in the Cougars' first four games of the season, has been on a tear over the past month.  In the last ten games, she has batted .344 with 11 runs scored and nine stolen bases.  On the season, she has a dozen stolen bases, which is halfway to the Cougars' all-time Top 10 list.  In Game 2, Cuesta turned to a new hero as Returning Freshman Catcher Katelin Eccles flexed her muscles on offense.  Eccles went 2-for-3 with a Double and a Home Run to lead the Cougars' offense.  Today's sweep dropped the Cougars to 8-14 overall and marked their fifth straight setback.  

Cuesta returns to its Western State Conference schedule next week with two home games against the loop.  The Cougars host Oxnard on Tuesday (2:30) and Moorpark (2:30) on Thursday.  Both the Condors and the Raiders are also entering next week's return to WSC play riding a losing streak.