COALINGA – The Coalinga College softball team's offense came alive as the Falcons cruised to a Central Valley Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Merced College on Tuesday.

The Falcons opened with an 8-4 victory and closed the afternoon with a big 13-4 win in six innings.

Game 1: Coalinga 8, Merced 4
A five-run, fifth-inning rally by Coalinga erased a 4-2 Merced lead in the opening-game win for the Falcons.

Alex McDanell smacked a home run and totaled 2 RBI, Esme Zuniga Romero went a perfect 3 for 3 with 2 doubles with 2 RBI, and Breanna Cisneros (1 for 2) also drove in a pair of runs to lead Coalinga.

Jenessa Sanchez went the distance, allowing 4 runs and 9 hits. She struck out 4 and walked only one.

Game 2: Coalinga 13, Merced 4
Coalinga's Bryton Loflin (2 for 4) smashed a pair of home runs on her way to 4 RBI in the doubleheader finale. The Falcons totaled 18 hits in the 6-inning contest with nearly every batter that came to the plate recording at least one.

Ayana Lopez (2 for 4) had a big game as well, as she tallied a pair of doubles and matched Loflin with 4 RBI. Rylie Williams led all with 3 hits, going a perfect 3 for 3 while scoring 2 runs and driving in one.

McDanell (2 for 4, 2B), Ava Carlton (2 for 4), Nilah Gruver (2 for 4), and Zuniga Romero (2 for 3, RBI) all had two hits each. Cisneros (1 for 3) had 2 RBI.

Alexis Espinoza earned the win in relief. She allowed 1 unearned run and 2 hits over the final 2 innings.

With the sweep, the Falcons improved to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in Central Valley Conference play. Coalinga is back in action on March 18 for a CVC doubleheader at College of the Sequoias.