Warriors Down Long Beach to Conclude Regular Season

TORRANCE, Calif. --- No. 6 El Camino College defeated No. 5 Long Beach City 3-1 in a South Coast Conference tilt on the final day of the regular season Thursday at the ECC Softball Field.

Kat Gutierrez had her best start of the season in the circle for the Warriors (28-12, 16-5) as she tossed her second complete game of the season. She allowed just one unearned run on six hits and struck out two against one of the toughest lineups in the state.

Emma Garcia, Cheyenne Navarro and Julianna Vasquez all drove in a run for the Warriors against Vikings (30-10, 17-4) starter Bayleigh Fry.

The Warriors opened the scoring in the first inning as Garcia drew a leadoff walk and then stole second. Navarro laid down a sacrifice bunt to third but third baseman Alejandra Mota elected to try and get Garcia out with a throw to third. Garcia slid under the tag safely and Navarro hustled all the way to second on the play to put the first two runners of the game into scoring position for ECC.

Malia Martin cashed in Garcia with a sacrifice fly to center field and then, after Cerise Cervantes was hit by a pitch, Vasquez fisted a single through the right side of the infield to score Navarro and give the Warriors the 2-0 lead.

The Vikings cut into that lead in the third as they strung together a two-out rally to score one.

The Warriors defense also came up big in the top of the fifth as the Vikings put the game-tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two outs. Jordyn Villanueva then squared up an offering from Gutierrez that seemed destined to fall into left-center for a two-run double.

But Anahi Pintado made a miraculous diving catch, fully extending on a full sprint from left field to make the catch and keep ECC in front.

Pintado would then lead off the bottom half of the inning with a single and she would come around to score later in the inning with an insurance run on a sac fly by Navarro to make it 3-1 ECC.

Gutierrez did the rest, retiring the side in order in the sixth and then, following a throwing error to put the leadoff hitter on base, Gutierrez would record the final three outs in a row to end the game.

The Warriors conclude the season in third place of the SCC, two games back of regular season champion Mount San Antonio and one game back of second-place LBCC.

The Warriors will await to find out their opponent in the upcoming 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs, which are set to begin on Friday, May 3.