(Bakersfield, CA) After an opening-game 6-5 walk-off loss to San Mateo on Saturday, the Mt. SAC Softball Team bounced back in a big way with two shutout wins Sunday (1/27) at Bakersfield College.
The Mounties, ranked first in the preseason CCCFCA State poll, scored 17 runs in an 8-0 win over host Bakersfield and a five-inning, 9-0 blanking of Santiago Canyon.
With the wins, Mt. SAC improves to 2-1.
"On Sunday, the team responded the way a great team should," said Rojas of the opening-game loss. "We competed against the team that we were (against San Mateo on Saturday) the day before and wanted to be way better than that.
"This is a reminder that teams are going to come after us with everything they got ALL YEAR long, and from the start. What we did do great in the San Mateo game (6-5 loss) was fight back when our backs were against the wall. We were just an inning short."
Game 1 – Mt. SAC 8, Bakersfield 0
Left fielder Candace Haliburton (2 for 4, R, SB) opened the game with a triple to right-center and came home with the first run on a sacrifice fly to center by first baseman Vicky Gutierrez (2-3, R, RBI).
With a 1-0 lead in the third inning, the Mounties scored five runs for the 6-0 lead.
Center fielder Ally Longtree (1-3, R) opened the floodgates in the third with a three-bagger and came home on a single by right fielder Caitlyn Felina (3-4, R, RBI).
Felina, Gutierrez, Ciara Granado (2-2, R, RBI) and catcher Quinn De Avila all came home in the inning.
Single runs in the sixth and seventh inning gave the Mounties the 8-0 lead.
The bats were alive as the Mounties banged out 15 hits, highlighted by triples from Haliburton, shortstop Jessika Trujillo (2-4, R, RBI) and Longtree.
Felina led all hitters with three hits in four at bats and also with multiple hits was Gutierrez and Granado (2-2, R, RBI).
Pitching the first complete game of the season and her first college win in the circle was Alexia Silvas. The freshman allowed four hits, walked two and struck out six.
Eight players each had an RBI for the Mounties in the game.
Game 2 – Mt. SAC 9, Santiago Canyon 0 (5 Inn.)
Catcher Adriana Ramirez, who had two doubles and a home run in the game, scored in the second inning for the 1-0 lead.
The Mounties scored four runs in the third and fourth innings to put the game away early.
Highlighting the four-run third were two, two-run home runs. The first came off the bat of Granado to right field, scoring Gutierrez ahead of her for the 3-0 lead. Three batters later Ramirez connected with a round-tripper, scoring Trujillo to lead, 5-0.
More of the same came in the fourth as Haliburton led off the inning with a solo home run to left center. Three more runs crossed the plate in the inning for the 9-0 advantage.
The Mounties connected with nine hits in the game.
Briana Wheeler picked up her first win of the season as she struck out seven in five innings.
"All the way around, it was a fun weekend and all of the three elements, pitching, offense and defense, clicked in," Rojas added.
Mt. SAC plays another road game Thursday at Antelope Valley and return for the home-opener Friday (2/1) against Santa Ana.
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.