It was a hot evening in Walnut, CA as the sun peaked high in the sky and temperatures reached 95 degrees that SAC’s softball team’s eight game winning streak was consumed by the Cerritos Falcons, losing 15-3.
The Falcons started the game off quickly by getting two girls on base within the first two plays of the inning. SAC didn’t like the momentum the Falcons were bringing, so they huddled up quickly to regroup and talk about the next things they needed to do. Coming out of that huddle would be one of the most unexpected plays to follow.
(Veronica Minogue)
Right as freshman right-handed pitcher Zoe Herford (6) threw her pitch, a Falcon batter hit the ball and it hit Herford (6) right in the face. Down on the ground, her team and coaches helped her up. When it was apparent there was no way she could continue, it was the next girl up for SAC.
Stepping in her place briefly would be redshirt freshman pitcher and first baseman Karissa Blanco (18), before getting subbed out herself for freshman right hand pitcher Vannessa Hawks (21).
It wouldn’t be long before Hawks (21) would also go down with an injury of her own that wouldn’t allow her to continue. Leaving Blanco (18) as the final pitcher standing for SAC.
“With two people down, we still have other people in [the game],” Blanco said. “Because that’s what we have is bullpen depth and just team depth.”
Things looked promising and competitive after two innings with the Falcons scoring twice in the first and SAC scoring 3 times in the second. But the hotter the weather got, the better the Falcons performed and SAC didn’t have the right fire equipment to contain the blaze coming their way.
The Falcons would go the next three innings with a minimum of two runs being scored for each inning, their highest one being the third inning with six runs being scored.
SAC wouldn’t have the same luck as the Falcons did following the second inning. As the heat seemed to power the Falcons, it had also seemed to absorb the softball playing super powers that SAC was known to have.
Going scoreless for the rest of the game after the second inning, SAC would fall to the Falcons 15-3.
(Veronica Minogue)
“We’re fired up now,” sophomore second baseman and shortstop Sarai Raygoza (14) said. “This loss doesn’t define us. It only makes us better. Now we got something to prove even more now.”
SAC traveled to Fullerton the next day to face the Fullerton Hornets where they would face another defeat, 8-7.
With SAC’s next game being away March 26 against the Compton Coyotes, they will be looking to find their softball super powers to get back in the win column.
