SAC Softball crushes round 1 of SoCal Regionals

Veronica Minogue, Sports Editor • May 1, 2026

The dugout goes wild after the first home run of the game.

Mt. SAC Softball won round 1 of the SoCal Regionals with a sweeping score of 11-0 against Southwestern on Friday, May 1 in only five innings.

The beginning of the game started with dominating defense against Southwestern with freshman right hand pitcher Zoe Herford (6) pitching. Herford, who ended up pitching all five innings, left the top of the first inning with zero errors and zero runs.

Zoe Herford (6) pitches in the first inning of the game. (Veronica Minogue)

“No I did not [expect to pitch the whole game]. I kinda thought we were gonna save a little bit, but since I think I was on a roll, good momentum you don’t want to mess that up,” Herford (6) said.

The bottom of the second inning is where SAC would start making marks on the scoreboard.

Sophomore outfielder Amanda Porterfield (5) hit a line drive, making it to first base followed by freshman infielder Marti Ann Leach (10) who hit a home run bringing both of them home.

Amanda Porterfield (5) hits a line drive. (Veronica Minogue)

This would set the tone for the rest of the game with the next inning bringing in eight total runs for Mt. SAC.

The team meets Marti Ann Leach (10) at home plate to cheer her on after hitting a home run. (Veronica Minogue)

Not only was the team dominating the offense, but the top of the fourth inning was defined by the fact Mt. SAC didn’t give Southwestern a chance to get one base, much less score. The top of the fourth ended with no hits or runs.

Emily Sandoval (22) catches a fly ball, marking the last out of the inning. (Veronica Minogue)

The bottom of the fourth ended with the last run Mt. SAC would score, with sophomore outfielder Natalie Valiente (17) hitting a single to left field and advancing to first after sophomore third baseman Desiree Morales (4) singled, advanced to second on the throw. With freshman utility player Kayla Mendoza’s (3) hit by pitch, it was followed by freshman outfielder Sophia Avina’s (9) pop up to first base. This helped Mendoza (3) advance to second, Morales (4) advanced to third and Valiente (17) scored.

Natalie Valiente (17) slides into third base after Desiree Morales (4) singled. (Veronica Minogue)

The top of the fifth inning allowed the team to finish off Southwestern in another no score, no hits inning ending the game in a 11-0 sweep.

Softball team hypes up before the game began. (Moses Cortez)

“We’ve been working for the past ten months and everything is jelling together,” Softball Head Coach Rojas said. “We have momentum on our side and we’re just going to go ahead and finish the job.”

Round 2 will take place at home on Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m., with a rematch against Southwestern.

Softball team celebrates with one another after the game. (Veronica Minogue)

About the Contributors

Veronica Minogue, Sports Editor

Veronica is an IE based journalist with a strong passion for both photography and video journalism. For Spring 2026 she is the sports editor for SAC Media as well a contributor to news and features. In Fall 2026 she will be attending Cal State Long Beach University to finish her journalism degree, with hopes to become a multimedia journalist with a concentration in broadcast media. When she isn’t holding a camera, she is going thrifting or trying a new matcha spot.

Moses Cortez, Opinions Editor

Moses Cortez serves as the Opinion’s Editor for SAC Media, an award-winning student publication based out of Mt. San Antonio College. With a deep interest in the stories of those on and off campus, the various opinions that come to mind, and the different things going on in the surrounding area, his writing takes those things and puts it out for the world to see. Outside of SACMedia, his interests lie within music, video games, creative writing, and various other media types with interesting stories to tell.