Softball Splits Twin Bill with Canyons

The Santiago Canyon College softball team hosted the College of the Canyons Cougars for a non-conference double header on Saturday afternoon. After bagging the series against crosstown rival Santa Ana on Friday, the Hawks followed with a split against the Cougars by winning the first game via mercy rule, but falling in the second contest, 5-3.

In game one, the Hawks scored in every inning by the second en route to a dominant performance. Sophomore starting pitcher Madison Lee toed the slab and held the Cougars to a mere four hits while keeping them off the scoreboard.

She began her outing with a punchout in the top of the first inning and stranding two runners in scoring position by forcing an inning-ending line drive out to freshman second baseman Calysta Maciel.

Her fourth inning was the strongest frame as she retired the side in order compliments of the final two outs via backwards Ks. She capped her outing in the top of the fifth inning with a line drive double play to Maciel, backed by an inning ending groundout to freshman shortstop Yazmine Garcia.

The Hawks bats wasted no time as they struck in the bottom of the first inning. After sophomore left fielder Alyssa Patlan drew a leadoff walk and swiped second, sophomore catcher Raneem Kerdiya belted a two-run jack over the left center wall to snag a 2-0 lead.

Santiago Canyon etched a run in the bottom of the third and fourth innings to keep the momentum rolling forward. After Paltan squared up one of her two triples of the game to begin the third inning, she came around to score on a Garcia sacrifice fly to right field. Freshman Isabella Altamirano kicked off the fourth-inning scoring with a leadoff two bagger into the left center gap and was lifted by freshman pinch runner Millie Maher. Maher came around to score on a sacrifice flyout from Maciel to grasp a 4-0 advantage.

The Hawks forced a mercy rule conclusion the following inning by loading the bases for Altamirano. She drove a deep flyout to left field, plating Patlan who reached on a triple. Freshman third baseman Kiana Bell found herself at the dish with the bases load and two outs and came through with a walk, scoring Garcia who reached on a hit by pitch.

Freshman first baseman Kaitlin Murphy ended the game a batter later by piecing a two-RBI double down the right field line, scoring freshman pinch runner Kaitlyn Martinez and freshman right fielder Tasneem Kerdiya, to secure an 8-0 win.

Patlan lead the offense by going 2-for-2 with two triples and three runs scored. In the last three games, she has gone a combined 5-for-10 at the dish. R. Kerdiya blasted her second homerun to compliment a 1-for-2 day at the dish that saw two RBI and one run scored.

Altamirano extended her hitting streak to five games with a 1-for-2 clip that featured a double and an RBI. Murphy has been an RBI machine after driving in two more runs on a 1-for-2 day. She has recorded five RBI in the past three games.

Lee (7-10) went the distance and allowed just four hits and struck out four batters. She secured her seventh win of the season.