Two-Out Hitting Sends Riverside Home with First Conference Win

The Riverside City College softball team was on the hunt for their first Orange Empire Conference (OEC) victory on Friday afternoon as they faced off against the Golden West College Rustlers on the road. After trailing by two runs at the conclusion of the first two innings, the Tigers went on to score eight unanswered runs leading to a 9-3 win.

Riverside took the lead early in the top of the first inning when freshman center fielder Tessah Black touched home on an error by the catcher. However, the Rustlers answered with a three spot in the bottom of the second to put Riverside in a two-run hole.

Nevertheless, the bats woke up the ensuing inning as they etched a four spot in the top of the third inning.

Freshman relief pitcher Jasmine Lara, who initially started the game as the designated player and entered to pitch in the top of the third inning, led the inning off by reaching via error. She later came around to score on a two-out RBI single from freshman shortstop Sophia Franco-Colis. The two-out rally continued as freshman first baseman Alicia Fitzgerald barreled an RBI double to left center, scoring So. Franco-Colis.

Sophomore backstop Alicia Rivera put an exclamation point on the inning by blasting her first bomb of the season over the center field wall, plating two, and handing the Tigers a 5-3 lead.

The offense didn't stop as the Tigers scored three more runs in the fourth inning. Freshman right fielder Janelle Malone jump started the inning with a single and promptly swiped second base. She came around to score on a single to center field by Lara. So. Franco-Colis stayed hot with a two-out RBI knock to center, scoring Lara. Black scored for the second time of the game on an error by the shortstop giving Riverside an 8-3 lead.

Lara kept the Rustler's offense at bay the moment she entered the circle. She retired the side in order in her first inning of work while allowing just two this in her five frames of work.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the top of the sixth as Rivera sent So. Franco-Colis home on a two-out RBI double to right center, leading to a 9-3 win.

Freshman Alyssa Valdez earned the win in the circle despite struggling in her mere two innings of action. She chucked two innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Lara was lights out in relief with five innings of shutout ball leading to three strikeouts.

Rivera went 2-for-3 with a double and a two-run jack. She drove in three RBI and scored once. So. Franco-Colis went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs score, while Black and Lara each barreled two hits each.