By: Ayden Vasquez
The Riverside City College softball team would lose 2-1 at Samuel Evans Sports Complex on March 15, growing the team’s losing streak to seven games. Concluding a three-game series against Golden West College
The Tigers went into the game ready to win and stop the Rustlers from completing the sweep. But with a drab 7-16 record on the season, hopes for finishing this three-game series with a win looked bleak.
“With us changing conferences we’re now facing tougher opponents so outcomes like this will be common,” head coach Michelle Daddona said. “But the great thing about losing this often is that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
On the mound for RCC was freshman pitcher Samantha Sizemore, a right-handed pitcher with 29 strikeouts this season. Within the first 3 pitches of the game, Golden West would put a runner in scoring position with a line drive single into left field that would result in an error, advancing the runner to second base.
After a strikeout, the runner from second would steal third safely, putting pressure on the Tigers early. As the next batter stepped to the plate, Sizemore would force a ground out to freshman shortstop Raquel Razo for the second out of the game.
Following the fielder’s choice from Razo, Golden West would draw first blood as the runner from third would score.
With the next two batters getting on base from a walk and a hit-by-pitch, the top of the first inning ended with a ground out.
“After they scored, my mindset was to not let anything affect me and to keep my rhythm going,” said Sizemore.
RCC was unable to even the score as the first inning would end with the score reading 1-0.
From the second to sixth innings, RCC didn’t falter giving up no runs or hits. Truly displaying the incredibly high ceiling of this young Tigers team and the potential for them to be a dominating force in the future.
“We’re young and are missing a few of our key players due to injuries,” Daddona said. “But with our performance in the middle innings keeping Golden West to one run, I think we have a promising future.”
The only hit allowed during those middle innings came from RCC freshman catcher Guadalupe Lemus in the bottom of the third, breaking through the Golden West defense with a double.
“It felt great to break through their defense, but being stranded on base after a solid hit is one of the worst feelings a player can have,” Lemus said. “I believed in my teammates to bring me home but in the end, we couldn’t capitalize.”
Following some substitutions for the Rustlers in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers would finally strike with a hard-hit double to left center field by freshman second baseman Fernanda Cano. She would later advance to third base off of a groundout, putting her in scoring position as freshman infielder Elizabeth Sigala stepped to the plate.
Sigala would hit an RBI single to center field, sending the Tiger dugout into a frenzy and tying the game 1-1.
Using their momentum, RCC would take the field in the top of the seventh ready to shut down Golden West’s offense. Unfortunately, the momentum wasn’t enough as the Rustlers would score once again to lead 2-1.
As hope for the Tigers dwindled, Golden West would put the dagger in the heart of Riverside’s hopes for a win as the game ended on a flyout to second base.
“We can’t worry about what happened in this series, we have to worry about what we can do against Orange Coast in the next series,” Daddona said. “All we can do now is look at our scouting report and get ready for next week.”
With this loss, RCC looks to flip the script as the team prepares for their first game in a three-game series against Orange Coast next week at home on Mar. 19.
