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After boasting a 9-1 record over a 10 game stretch, PCC’s softball team entered a non-conference weekend series with a target on their backs. In attempts to prove that they deserve such a titanous record, they ended up at a mediocre 1-2  as they head back to playing meaningful games.

The Lancers started the three game stretch by facing LA Harbor, who they had already beat 6-2 back in March. Britney Lopez took the mound for Pasadena, trying to build off some recent success she’s had. Opposing Lopez was one of LA Harbor’s top pitchers, Jessica Robledo.

PCC would strike first as Robledo’s defense could not rescue her. A couple of bobbled balls and misplays allowed Pasadena to grab an early 2-0 lead. On the flip side, the Lancer defense had Lopez’s back all game as the pitcher gave up a lot of contact.

“It’s really helpful for me to know that they have my back like that,” Lopez said about her team’s defense. “It allows me to make the pitches I want without having to worry about giving up a lot of hits.”

Lopez ran into trouble in the third when the first base umpire claimed that first baseman Amanda Flores missed the tag on the runner after a wide throw took her off the bag, allowing the bases to become loaded with only one out.

“When the bases were loaded, I knew I had to slow the game down,” Lopez said. “At that point, all I could do was trust my mechanics.”

Lopez’s mechanics bailed her out, as she got an instrumental strikeout for the second out, and got the next batter to pop up and end the inning.

The game remained 2-0 leading into the top of the seventh, with the bottom half of LA Harbor’s lineup coming to bat. Lopez was able to get two quick outs before allowing two runners get on. This brought up Cynthia Ruiz, who laced a line drive down the left-field line, and with the runners going on contact, LA Harbor tied it up at two.

When it seemed as if this game was set to go deep into extras due to PCC not scoring for five innings in a row, Nathalia Velasquez led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple. A couple of pitches later, the Lancers were dancing out of the dugout as Flores hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to right field.

What seemed like a promising start to a weekend was soured the very next day against Grossmont College. Lancer Jordan Lousararian gave up five runs in the very first inning. That was all the action she saw, as Lopez came into the game, just a day after hurling seven innings.

Lopez pitched impressively as she finished off the game only allowing two runs. Even with an amazing pitching feat from Lopez, the offense was never able to have a big inning. PCC was able to tack on four runs, but that would be all as they fell 7-4.

“What Lopez did for us was amazing,” said the catcher for PCC, Jeneve Medrano. “She came out today and was able to push herself, even when she got behind in the count. She pounded the zone, and that’s all I could have asked from her.”

The Lancers were unable to get a positive record over the weekend as they also fell to Fullerton, leaving them with a tampered spirit. Now PCC hopes to rebound when they resume conference play at East Los Angeles on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.

 

Matthew Brown
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