Chaffey Softball Drops Three Games to Start Season

Chaffey Softball jumped into the season with a three-game opening stretch against perennial playoff and state-ranked teams. An 0-3 start may not seem successful but the results are more complicated than the team's record. 

After losing 5 All-Conference athletes (including the 2-time conference MVP) from last season's championship team, the Panthers knew they were in for a steep learning curve coupled with an extremely challenging schedule. 

Chaffey opened the season by hosting the state's 11th-ranked team, Cerritos College. Starting sophomore pitcher Tori Morton worked her way into the 5th inning with a 3-3 tie but a pair of walks and a pair of doubles resulted in a four-run Cerritos outburst, culminating in a 7-3 loss. Sophomores Vivian Medinilla and Samantha Vasquez collected a pair of hits as did freshman outfielder Riley Montion.

The Panthers next traveled to San Diego Mesa, who reached playoff regionals last year. In a hard-fought doubleheader, Chaffey came up short in both games. 

The Olympians jumped out to a four-run first inning lead in game one, and although the teams traded a pair of runs following that, Chaffey fell 6-2.

Vasquez and Medinilla again led the way with two hits each. Sophomore Amanda Sera added an RBI double while Morton threw a complete game, scattering seven hits in the loss.

Game two started in a similar fashion, with Mesa jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning but Chaffey continued to battle, putting three on the board in the third and two more in the fifth, cutting the lead to 7-5. The Panthers then erupted for four in the sixth inning, taking a 9-7 lead.

San Diego rallied in the bottom of the sixth for three runs and Chaffey left the tying run on second in the 7th inning to end the game.

Medinilla and Sera both had big games at the plate, with each going 4-5. Medinilla scored three runs and Sera added two more plus an RBI. Sophomore outfielder Megan Aranda went 2-5 with three runs and an RBI while sophomore shortstop Tristen Wren went 2-3 with a walk and two RBI. 

Chaffey collected 32 hits in the three games while its starting pitching (Sera and Morton) performed well but the Panthers were plagued by some untimely errors and stranding runners on base. The offensive start provides promise as the season moves forward.