SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Despite a complete-game effort from Alena Johnson, the Santa Barbara City College softball team came up short in its home opener, falling 4-2 to Antelope Valley College on Friday at Pershing Park.
Johnson (0-2) battled through seven innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out three and walking six on 132 pitches.
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Vaqueros' offense came to life. Mei Frank delivered a sharp single to right field, scoring Maite Juarez and advancing Morgan Grove to third.
Moments later, Frank stole second, drawing a throw from the catcher—giving Grove just enough time to steal home and cut the deficit to 4-2.
Santa Barbara continued to threaten, but Antelope Valley's defense held firm, keeping the Vaqueros off the board the rest of the way.
Now 0-3 on the season, Santa Barbara looks to bounce back when it hosts Cerro Coso for a doubleheader on Tuesday.
