Under cloudy skies and postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the Riverside City College softball team delivered a pair of clutch performances April 18th at Evans Sports Complex, defeating the Raiders 6-3 and 6-0 in a doubleheader.
Solid pitching, timely hitting and tight defense defined both games, giving fans a glimpse of what the Tigers could look like in the postseason.
“This feels good,” Tigers head coach Michelle Daddona said following the sweep. “We just got to keep chipping away and put our best foot forward every time we come out.”
The first game set the tone early. Alianna Arroyo got the start in the circle and held her own under pressure, working around trouble and staying composed despite a home run from the Raiders.
“We came out, we did our thing,” Arroyo said. “I did the best I could pitching-wise, but in the sport, home runs happen. We have to hit our sports and just tip our hats to the hitter.”
The Tigers’ defense stepped up when it mattered most, allowing three runs to take the 6-3 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
Daddona credited her team’s poise and improved discipline at the plate as key factors in the opener.
“We’re taking more pitches and being more selective.” Daddona said, “Sometimes it’s tough, the calls were inconsistent, but I thought we did a good job staying with our approach.”
Carrying the momentum into the second game, the Tigers came out even more aggressive, and it showed early on.
“My outing was a lot better today than I have been coming out,” pitcher Anneliese Burns said. “I’ve been adjusting in practice, and I implemented that today. I felt a lot stronger; we had our win against San Jacinto, and we brought that energy. We took both wins today, came out strong.”
One of the biggest moments came from Abigail Baldwin, who delivered a clutch 3-run RBI double that burst the second game wide open and pushed the lead to 3-0.
“I thought it was good, we all worked together Baldwin said. “That 3-run RBI was my team doing the work to get on base, I just drove them in.”
On the mound, Jessica Gaitain pitched a near-perfect game. The coaching staff kept her for the second game, tossing a shutout and keeping the Raiders off balance from start to finish.
“I think we played well in both games,” Gaitain said. “We seem to be consistent in our hitting, and our defense was on point. It’s a confidence booster, especially when you get a shutout.”
The 6-0 shutout was the exclamation point on a day where everything clicked, pitching, defense and offense all came together. The dugout energy was high and the chemistry between teammates showed on every play.
“It’s effective because it throws the other team off.” Burns added, referring to the team’s ability to adjust and support one another, “It shows our teamwork and how we support one another.”
Daddona emphasized how critical these wins were for the team’s playoff ambitions.
“All our last games are critical,” Daddona said. “These were key victories for us to get, but we have to finish strong, we have to make sure we do our job.”
Currently vying for a play-in spot, the Tigers know nothing is guaranteed, but confidence is building at the right time.
“We wanna finish strong, put ourselves in the best position for that play in spot,” Daddona echoed, “and if we keep doing what we’re doing, we have a shot.”
The Tigers are still not taking anything for granted.
“It’s going to be tough, but we have to find a way in, and something special is going to happen,” Daddona said
Only three games remain in the Tigers’ season, but the path forward is clear: finish strong and fight for every pitch.
The Tigers have a showdown with Santa Ana on April 21, 22, and 24, which gives them a chance to keep the momentum rolling and move one step closer to the postseason dream.
