ELAC Softball Celebrates Women's History Month by Taming Rattlers

by Cerwin D Haynes
(photos by Joshua De La Rosa)

On a day where East LA College celebrated Women's History Month by hosting a Sisterhood Expo, ELAC Softball held their own honorary activities before the game by recognizing the day - acknowledging the female athletes on their own team as well as the those for the visiting Golden West College Rattlers.

The Huskies (9-16, 3-9) then capped the day the best way possible: with a win. Starting pitcher Sophia Priebe went the distance for the seventh time this season, aided by good defense and timely offensive execution to upend Golden West (11-7, 5-4) 4-3.

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Pack tied the game on a RBI double by CF Arianna Urias and then - two batters later - a grounder hit by Jocelyn Solorzano that 2B Maya Magadaleno couldn't field cleanly, allowing Urias to score from third.

In the bottom of the fifth, the home Green took the lead on a Nathaly Ochoa bunt single to 3B that drove in speedy Zahyra Venecia (Corado) (who hit a 1-out triple to deep center in the previous at-bat). Ochoa reached first, only to realize GWC's third baseman Sofia Herrera had the ball close to the pitcher's circle and no one covering second. She took off, and beat a racing Herrera to the bag. 

Such heads-up baserunning helped ELAC net its fourth run: Priebe was up next and hit a pop fly to shallow center that was falling fast. CF Shelby Jacobsz looked to have a beat on it and dove, but dropped the ball right before it hit the ground; Venecia advanced to third. Alicia Amaya then hit a short pop fly to shallow RF for the second out, but the Huskies ultimately drove in Ochoa on an RBI single by Urias, the next batter. Urias hit a sharp liner to the left of staring pitcher Desyree Arizmendi, who stuck her glove out and knocked the ball down. But by time Arizmendi could recover to field the ball, Ochoa raced across home plate and Urias reached safely. 

East would take their 4-2 to the top of the seventh, but Golden West would push one across and had potential tying run at third base with two outs. Priebe (W, 8-7), who had already induced five ground balls back to the mound for the game, got one more comebacker as she made the easy toss to first to retire LF Sara Aguilar and wrap up the win.

HUSKY BITS

• Today's game was earmarked as the official Women's History Month Game by the Women in Sport club, co-founded by softball head coach Erika Blanco. She lead a ceremony to honor her players as well as the visiting Rattlers. "These ladies sacrifice a lot to be here," said Coach Blanco. "So tonight is to celebrate them and have fun."
• Urias and Ochoa each had two hits on the day.
  • Urias went 2-3 with 2RBI and a run scored, upping her batting average on the season to a team-leading .405. 
  • Ochoa went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
• ELAC got some much-needed production from the bottom on their lineup. Solorzano went 1-3, Adrianna Martinez went 1-3, and Venecia 1-2... with her one hit a big triple deep to center in the fifth.
• Despite three errors, the Pack played mostly sound defense. Along with Priebe inducing numerous ground balls that were cleanly fielded, they turned a big 5-3 double play in the top of the fifth.

UP NEXT:

The homestand (and run of February rainout makeup games) continue as the Dons of Santa Ana College come into Monterey Park tomorrow at 6pm.