Defending Champions End Season

The defending South Coast Conference champion softball team ended the season winning one of three games including a 4-3 upset win against Cerritos College on April 15 at home.

The Huskies lost to Pasadena City College 4-1 at home on April 16 and at Long Beach City College 6-1 on April 21.

The Huskies faced Cerritos in a continuation of a March 12 game protested by the Falcons. ELAC was already eliminated from advancing to the playoffs. Cerritos, however, was still in the race to win the SCC championship.

The game began in the top of the fifth inning with ELAC leading, 2-1. The game was vocal one, from the fans and both teams from the get go.

Cerritos quickly loaded the bases. Falcon sophomore first baseman Haley Petruccelli (Torrance High School) was hit by a pitch from ELAC freshman pitcher Byanka Diosdado (Schurr HS) to tie the score. The Falcons then scored an unearned run off ELAC fielding error to take the lead, 3-2.

With a Falcon each on first and third bases, Diosdado closed out the sixth inning to the loud approval of the Husky contingent.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, ELAC rallied for two runs off a hit each from sophomore center fielder Larissa Munoz (Bishop Amat HS) and sophomore pinch runner Cassandra Sarabia (L.A. Roosevelt HS).

Cerritos loaded the based in the top of the seventh inning off one hit from freshman infielder Jasmine Javier (Cerritos HS) and an ELAC error. Diosdado followed getting sophomore catcher Crystal Cano (Norwalk HS) to fly out and the Huskies had the big win.

Against Long Beach in the season finale, ELAC lost its only game of the year against the Vikings. ELAC won the conference series 2-1.

ELAC scored a run in the top of the first inning off a hit each from sophomore catcher Felicia Gomez (Arroyo HS) and Munoz. The Huskies held the one-run lead until the bottom of the fifth inning. Long Beach scored six runs off of seven hits and one ELAC error. Long Beach held on for the 6-1 win.

The defending SCC champions finished 15-21 overall and 9-12 in SCC play tied for fourth place with Compton (23-16) and Pasadena (21-17).

EL Camino (30-10, 17-4) won the SCC title followed by second place Mt. San Antonio College (29-11, 16-5) and Cerritos (23-17, 14-7), which lost three-of-four of its final SCC games to finish in third place.

Diosdado, who led the state with most innings pitched, finished 14-19.

Story by Tadzio Garcia