Softball: Porterville wins fifth straight, beat Merced 3-2 in doubleheader opener

The Porterville College softball team ran its season-best winning streak to five games thanks to its narrow 3-2 win at Merced College on Thursday. Unfortunately, the streak came to an end later on after the Blue Devils handed the Pirates an 11-0 loss in five innings to wrap up the Central Valley Conference doubleheader.

Following Thursday's action, Porterville is 11-20 overall and currently sits at 7-10 in conference play. The Pirates return to action on Saturday (April 8) when they travel to DeAnza College for a non-conference doubleheader.

Game 1: Porterville 3, Merced 2
Thanks to an excellent outing in the circle by Hannah Grimes and some timely hitting, the Pirates kept the momentum going with the win over the Blue Devils in the opener.

Grimes scattered nine hits over seven innings, allowing just a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. She struck out three and walked none.

Porterville scored all three runs in the top of the fifth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Samantha Dale lined a two-run single to score Jayme Knauer and Britnei Murray. Mckenzie Hendricks followed with a RBI double that drove in Danay Lee for the eventual game-winning run.

Raeleen Torres added two hits, going 2 for 3 to lead Porterville.

Game 2: Merced 11, Porterville 0 (5 inn.)
The Pirates' winning streak finally came to a halt with the Blue Devils' mercy-rule win to close out the doubleheader.

Leading 3-0, Merced blew the game open with an eight-run third-inning off PC starting pitcher Sophia Chamberlain. She took the loss after allowing nine runs (5 ER) and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings.

Not helping the cause, the Pirates committed six errors and totaled just three hits.