The Pasadena City College softball team has put together the best start in the program's 37-year history in the South Coast Conference, moving to 7-0 in the league behind a 7-1 victory at Cerritos College on Monday. The win allowed the Lancers to keep up with 5-time defending champion Mt. San Antonio, now at 7-0.
PCC is 13-6 overall.
"We took some time to get going, not really playing to our potential in our pre-conference games," said PCC head coach Monica Tantlinger. "Right now, we're playing sound softball and our pitchers have been terrific. We have the most veteran team of sophomores I've had here and it shows on the field. They understand what it takes to win, and I'm super proud of how we have started conference. The goal is to keep it going."
Against Cerritos, starting pitcher Austyn Helmuth allowed just five hits over six innings with four strikeouts for her second straight win. Kiley Kraft pitched the seventh, and had a pop-up, double play turned by shortstop Danielle Ruiz to close out the victory.
In the first, PCC jumped out to a 2-0 lead as centerfielder Gabi Perez singled in first baseman Marcella Ordonez, who reached on a bunt single and stole second. Perez then took off for a double steal as Ruiz, who had walked before Perez's hit, stole home.
Ordonez delivered a RBI double in the third. Leading 3-1, the Lancers distanced themselves as third baseman Jaimie Harris cleared the bases on a shot 3-RBI double to right center. Leftfielder Olivia Nanez brought in Harris with a run-scoring grounder to the pitcher.
Overall, Ordonez batted 2-for-3, Perez 2-for-4, Ruiz 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two of the team's six stolen bases, catcher Alyssa Guzman was 1-for-2 with a walk, second baseman Gigi Leyva also doubled and was 1-for-3, and rightfielder Breanna Rodriguez hit 1-for-3.
Harris (.371 average) leads the conference in home runs with six, her 24 RBI is second, her seven doubles tied for third. Rodriguez leads the team with a .415 batting average while Ordonez is right behind at .393. Ruiz tops the South Coast in walks drawn (12) and is seventh in stolen bases with 10.
The Lancers host Long Beach City College on Tuesday, Mar. 28 in a 2:30 p.m. conference start at off-campus Robinson Park. PCC beat the Vikings back on Mar. 7, 6-3, in a game that went eight innings. LBCC (15-7) is third in the SCC at 8-2.
