Pitching problems persist Early lead blown late by pitching, defensive woes

JESUS CORONEL STAFF REPORTER

An early advantage looked like a promising victory but turned into a blown lead for the Riverside City College softball team on April 1.

Four straight singles in the second inning gave RCC the early lead against the Pasadena City College Lancers, with the inning being capped off by a two RBI single from sophomore center fielder Sophia Franco-Colis.

That was the last run the Tigers saw for the game.

The Lancers started their comeback with an RBI single from sophomore shortstop Danielle Ruiz in the third inning.

Pasadena sophomore right fielder Gabi Perez hit an RBI single in the fourth inning, then a wild pitch from freshman reliever Chloe Lockhart allowed another run to score.

“We started to lose focus in the middle of the game,” freshman starting pitcher Ereka Gibbs said.

After a scoreless fifth inning from both teams, the Tigers committed several fielding errors throughout the top of the sixth inning that allowed the Lancers to score three more runs.

First, Perez scored when Riverside made an error on a bunt. Then freshman catcher Cassidy Cooper overthrew second on a steal, which allowed another run to score in the process.

What looked like a routine single from sophomore pinch hitter Arlyne Ruiz became an RBI double after a missed throw to second base, allowing another run to score.

“We were chipping away, but once we trailed it was hard to get out of the deficit,” Franco-Colis said. “I feel like the ball (when) fielding was eating us up.”

Riverside head coach Michelle Daddona expressed her concerns with the defense after the struggles throughout the game.

“We were playing pretty well, but we had some miscommunication on defense,” she said. “We weren’t in the right spots, we didn’t execute our plays, and it led to mistakes that ended up being too much for us to overcome.”

The bats went cold for the Tigers offense and they lost the game 7-4, extending the team’s losing streak to two games.

Even though the team had a collapse, Daddona is confident that

Sports Briefs Golf

if the team plays like they did up until that point, they can compete in every game for the rest of the season.

“We didn’t get the outcome that we wanted, but overall, we are happy with what we did,” she said. “As long as we do that, we will be in contention to win every game.”

The Tigers will be on a road trip while playing Saddleback and Fullerton College on April 6-7. Their next home game is April 11 against Palomar College.

The Riverside City College’s golf team placed second in the Riverside Host Meet on April 3.

Swimming & Diving

The men’s swimming & diving team placed third at the OEC Meet #2 on March 24.

The women’s swimming & diving team placed second at the OEC Meet #2 on March 24.

Tennis

Men’s tennis defeated Orange Coast College with a sweep on April 4. Riverside clinched a tie for the OEC championship title with the victory.

Women’s tennis won its match 7-2 against Cypress College on March 31. The Tigers are 8-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

Baseball being held scoreless after the second inning.