No. 8 Canyons Powers Past Santa Monica in 12-0 Road Win

Sophomore hurler Ashley Russo registered nine strikeouts and infielder Kiana Holder slugged a grand slam as the No. 8 regionally ranked College of the Canyons softball team completely dominated host Santa Monica College on Thursday to pick up a 12-0 conference win.

Canyons (13-8, 6-1) has now won three straight, and six of its last seven games to claim the top position in the Western State Conference (WSC), Blue Division.

During the current three-game streak, COC has outscored its opponents by a 30-1 margin — with two of those games cut short due to the five-inning mercy rule. 

The offensive onslaught in recent weeks has been the result of a collective effort, with Canyons batting .318 as a team heading into Thursday's contest.

Holder, who leads the team with a .413 average, has helped lead the way having gone 8-for-11 with eight RBIs in the last three games. Holder's 25 RBIs on the season also lead COC.

Right behind Holder in the rankings is leadoff hitter, and 2015 All-SoCal honoree, Cheyenne Steward who is batting at a .391 clip.

"Kiana is definitely stepping up her game," said COC head coach John Wissmath. "In my mind, both Kiana and Cheyenne should be All-Conference selections."

Both players both made their mark in Thursday's game. While Holder had the biggest hit of the game, Steward finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs of her own. 

Freshman Sarah Wilson also went yard with a two-run shot for the Cougars. Freshman Gabrielle Padilla was 2-for-2 with a double.

Russo improved to 8-5 on the year in her ninth complete game. She has now been credited with the victory in each of COC's last six wins, while recording nine strikeouts in back-to-back games. 

"It's nice to get Ashley back in the circle at nearly 100 percent," Wissmath said about his ace, who has battled through an early-season injury. "She keeps getting stronger every day."

Canyons will next host Glendale College in a doubleheader at Ray Whitten Field on Tuesday. Games are scheduled to start at 1 and 3 p.m.