Softball Wins Four Straight, Moves Near the Top of the IEAC Standings

The MSJC softball team has won 4 games in a row and are now tied for first place in the IEAC.  (Austin Schmidt-MSJC)
The MSJC softball team has won 4 games in a row and are now tied for first place in the IEAC. (Austin Schmidt-MSJC)

The MSJC softball team picked up a big sweep of San Bernardino Valley on Friday and rode that momentum into two more wins against San Diego City Monday.

Friday the Eagles played two solid games and came away with a pair of one run wins over San Bernardino Valley in a key Inland Empire Athletic Conference doubleheader.  In game one the teams battled into extra innings, before the Eagles came away with the 4-3 win in nine.  MSJC scored first in the contest taking a 2-0 lead in the second on RBIs from Maya Felipe and Hailey Matthews.  SBVC would come back to score the next three runs and led 3-2 headed to the bottom of the 7th.  Chelsi Washburn came through with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Hailey Cardenas and sent the game to extras.  In the bottom of the ninth it was Alexis Aldridge who this time came up with a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Payton Raney to give MSJC the walk off win.  Amanda Gromko threw all nine innings for the Eagles to pick up the pitching victory as she allowed just 3 runs while striking out 11.

Game two was another tight one, but MSJC came away with the 2-1 win to complete the sweep.  The Eagles picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the first and then pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third on an RBI single from Aldridge.  The Wolverines lone run of the game came in the top of the fourth.  Ana Gastelum pitched a strong game for MSJC as she went 7 innings allowing just 4 hits and 1 run.

On Monday the Eagles stepped out of conference play to make up a pair of games with San Diego City that were rained out back in March.  MSJC got the bats going early and often as they picked up wins of 8-2 and 11-0.  In the 8-2 victory Gastelum knocked in three runs and Maya Felipe added 2 RBIs, while Aldridge and Jasmine Barerras each drove in one.  Gromko earned her 8th pitching victory of the season as she threw 6 innings allowing 2 runs and striking out 8, Felipe pitched a scoreless 7th.

In game two Monday MSJC scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first, one in the third, and 6 in the fourth to win 11-0 in 5 innings.  Amy Naranjo drove in a game best 3 runs while Veronica Prado and Felipe drove in two a piece.  Gastelum was the winning pitcher throwing a five inning shut out and allowing just one hit.

The Eagles improved to 13-12 overall on the season, but more importantly are now tied in the loss column for first place in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference standings at 6-2.  MSJC has a big game on Wednesday when they host College of the Desert, who comes into the game at 8-2 in the IEAC.  Wednesday's game at Menifee is set for 2 pm.