The Tigers’ bats stayed silent, managing one hit in a shutout loss to the Orange Coast College Pirates.
The air was tense as the Riverside City College softball Tigers took the field Thursday afternoon, hoping to salvage the series against the powerhouse Pirates.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. The Tigers’ lone bright spot came late in the game when sophomore leadoff hitter Alysse Flores poked a single into right field.
“It felt good at first. I thought we were going to build on the momentum” Flores said. “I was bummed we weren’t able to put any runs on the board.”
However, the Tigers failed to produce much in an otherwise bleak performance at the plate.
On the mound, freshman pitcher Jessica Gaitan showed flashes of brilliance. She struck out seven batters and worked through several challenging situations but received little support from her offense.
“They adjusted, and I pitched the whole series,” Gaitan reflected. “They know my pitching style and what I throw. I was also in my head.”
“I feel like we could have done better, especially with hitting. We’ve been lacking in that area in both games, and we need to adjust and feel more confident,” Gaitan added.
Gaitan’s frustrations were shared by head coach Michelle Daddona, who emphasized the need for improvement at the plate.
“Offensively, we let ourselves down,” Daddona said. “We have to be able to hit and put runs across. We’re at a disadvantage, having just one pitcher, but that’s not an excuse. We need to find a way to win, whether it’s looking back at film or mixing up our approach.”
Despite their struggles, Daddona praised Gaitain’s efforts on the mound. “I’m proud of her for striking out the players she did,” Daddona said. “But if we’re not hitting behind her, it doesn’t matter how many strikeouts she gets.”
The Pirates, who lead the Orange Empire Conference, brought Ruby Fidge a different pitcher to the circle for this game, which seemed to catch the Tigers off guard.
“They came with a different pitcher,” Daddona noted. “Their goal is to challenge us, and we didn’t take care of our bats until later in the game. By then, it was too late.”
Daddona highlighted the team’s lack of confidence as a reason for the struggles. “I don’t think the pitching was better than anything we’ve seen before this season,” she said. “I would’ve hoped we had more confidence, especially after putting up good hits against quality pitching earlier in the season.”
The Tigers now face an uphill battle to stay in contention for the playoffs. “It’s about keeping ourselves in the hunt,” Daddona said. “We need to regroup, focus, and find ways to compete tomorrow.”
The Tigers will look to bounce back quickly as they face the Pirates on April 11 and finish up their conference games.
Maddie Nelson contributed to this story.
