(Walnut, CA) The Mt. SAC Softball team exploded for nine runs on 10 hits in the first two innings and cruised to a 12-1 victory over Bakersfield in five innings in the opening game of the 3C2A Super Regionals on Friday, May 12.
With the win, the Mounties improved to 38-5 and took a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three series. Freshman pitcher Aleyna Urbina, who went the distance, improved to 19-2 on the season.
Leading the way offensively was sophomore right fielder Mia Mendoza (3 for 4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, double) and three players with two hits each: Katelyn Olson (2 for 3, 2 runs, triple), second baseman Asia Chacon (2 for 3, 3 runs, RBI), and Brianna Goris (2 for 2, home run, 2 runs, 2 RBIs).
"Offensively, we had a plan to go after her (Bakersfield pitcher Ryleigh Harrison) right away and attack her," said Mt. SAC Assistant Coach Anthony Gonzalez. "We knew she was going to leave things over the plate, and we hit it."
In the first inning, trailing 1-0, Mt. SAC's first five batters got hits, resulting in three runs. Mendoza started her productive day with a double, scoring Chacon, and then came home on a single by centerfielder Ashley Diaz for a 3-1 lead.
Six more runs came across in the second inning on five hits, along with three walks, a hit batter, and an error.
Meanwhile, Urbina settled down after the first inning and retired 10 of the last 14 Bakersfield batters to seal the win.
The Mounties added three more runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from first baseman Brianna Goris. The home run was her seventh of the season.
"To me, the home run felt really great because I had been struggling for a while," said Goris, who was the state player of the year last season. "I knew no one was going to pitch me fat pitches, so I had to pick and choose what was going to help the team and chase what they wanted me to chase."
Another significant addition to the win was the return of freshman third baseman/designated player Janis Espinoza, who had recently recovered from an injury.
"I was actually pretty nervous," said Espinoza (1 for 2, run, 2 RBIs), who was named to the 3C2A All-Southern California first team and SCC Co-PoY. "It was a mixture of nervousness and excitement because I missed the game a lot, but I knew my teammates had my back. I kept it simple."
Espinoza reached base in all three at-bats, contributing two RBIs and a single in the six-run second inning.
The Mounties will try to wrap up the series on Saturday with a win and secure a trip to the 3C2A State Championships next weekend, where Mt. SAC will host.
