Softball Opens Conference Play with Win

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College opened South Coast Conference action with a 7-0 victory over visiting Rio Hondo on Tuesday afternoon at the ECC Softball Field.

The Warriors (9-3, 1-0) used two big innings to score their seven runs against the Roadrunners (7-5, 0-2).

Alyssa Lujan led the offense as she went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Five other players recorded a hit for ECC with Emily Esparza scoring twice and driving in a run in the victory.

Skylar Sanchez took the win in the circle as she went six shutout innings and allowed just three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Gabriela Ortega tossed one inning of scoreless relief to seal the victory.

The second inning was where the Warriors took a tight grip of the game thanks in part to a defensive miscue by the Roadrunners. Destiny Ostorga led off the frame with a single and then, after Sarah Leyba entered the game to run for Ostorga, Viviana Tamayo lined a ball to right field.

Roadrunners right fielder Janet Vasquez was in position to make the grab to the ball went off her glove and behind her to the wall, allowing Leyba to score and Tamayo was standing on third base.

Leesa Parral would walk and steal second base and then Malia Martin hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Tamayo and put ECC up 2-0. Emily Esparza then singled to right-center, scoring Parral for a 3-0 advantage.

With two outs and runners on first and third, Esparza scored the fourth run of the frame as Lujan attempted to steal second. In the ensuing pickle, Esparza broke for home and scored without a throw to give the Warriors an early 4-0 lead.

It's all Sanchez would need as she scattered three hits and was able to pitch out of trouble when needed.

In the fifth, she got out of a two-on, two-out situation when Sanchez got Vasquez to line out to short to end the threat.

The sixth inning was Rio Hondo's best chance to score as they loaded the bases with two outs, but Sanchez induced a flyout to left to end that threat.

The Warriors would score three times in the bottom half of the sixth to put the game away.

The Warriors will return to action on Wednesday afternoon as they host Pasadena in a make-up game for the original game that was rained out on Feb. 23. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.