BC RIDES MUSTANG TO WIN

BC RIDES MUSTANG TO WIN

Bakersfield College Softball (1-0) opened their 2017 with a 10-5 road win over College of the Sequioas behind a strong pitching performance from Stockdale product McKenna Valencia and a scoring outburst late in the game from BC's lineup.

Valencia notched her first collegiate win by striking out six, scattering seven hits over seven innings, and surrendering only two earned runs in the complete game performance. 

The other three runs came on five errors on the defensive side, some of which were Valencia's responsibility, but the good far outweighed the bad, and third year Head Coach Christie Hill is hardly worried.

"I feel good considering we have n't been on the dirt much in the past month due to the unseasonable inclement weather we had in January," Hill said, "So I expected some errors, and they  were really mental errors more than anything having to do with technique or bad muscle memory." 

Hill played four years at Cal State Bakersfield and later played professionally in Europe before taking over BC's softball program, and she never remembers preparing for the season with so little time on the dirt because of heavy rains. 

"Are you kidding? We usually play in shorts  in January," Hill said. 

DP Alexis Solis made COS pitcher Ashley Paradine pay for each mistake with a three for four day at the plate, including two RBI.

Shortstop Michelle Puente also had a solid day at the plate, ripping a triple and later scoring on a Katherinie Aldrete single in the third inning. Puente also singled home in the fourth inning. 

BC next plays Fresno City College on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2017 in Fresno at 2pm.