LMC Softball team wins a back-and-forth battle
Close game ended in a victory for the Mustangs
April 20, 2023
The Los Medanos Mustangs softball team split a double header against the Yuba City College 49ers, winning the first game but dropping the second game at the home field of the Mustangs.
Yuba got off to a quick start when Danika Martin singled to center field to score Harmony Balchus to lead 1-0. Regan Chan shortly followed with a single to load the bases with just one out in the inning.
However, the Mustangs eluded a long inning when a line drive off the bat of Monica Mitchell was snagged out of the air by third baseman Charlize Howay who then beat Flores to the third base bag to tag her out and end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning Howay doubled to left center to score Vanessa Fritzler and Anastasia Martinez to take a 2-1 lead over Yuba. Two more runs were scored when Isabella Gonzalez singled to extend the Mustang’s lead to 4-1.
Yuba’s first two batters got out to start the inning, However back to back doubles from Martin and Reagan Chan sparked a two-out rally as Yuba cut the Mustang’s lead to 4-3. The inning ended when Mitchell smacked a ball into the right-center gap but was thrown out trying to get to third base to end the inning.
The Mustangs would answer back when a two-out single from Melissa Becerra scored Tatiana Serrano which was followed by a two-RBI triple by Tamia Roberts to grow the Mustang’s lead to 6-3. Roberts would steal home before the inning ended as the Mustangs led Yuba 7-3.
Three runs came around to score following three straight errors by the Mustangs to open up the fourth inning to cut the lead to 7-6. Yuba once again loaded the bases with just one out in the inning and looked to tie and possibly take the lead.
A line drive off the bat of Reagan Chan was reeled in by third baseman Charlize Howay who beat Samantha Flores to third base to end the inning, similar to her play that got the Mustangs out of a jam in the first inning.
Yuba tied the score at eight after four straight hits started the fifth inning from Yuba.
With two outs in the inning and Londyn Gillespie on second, Flores was at the plate and looked to give Yuba the lead. She singled to center field and Gillespie rounded third, headed for home plate. However, a throw from center fielder Melissa Becerra beat Gillespie to the plate, catcher Anastasia Martinez tagged her out and the game remained tied at eight.
Yuba took their first lead of the game since the first inning in the top of the sixth when Madalynn Biagie doubled home two runs. Katelyn Parker soon scored after a ball got away from the LMC catcher as Yuba now led 11-8.
The lead didn’t last long as in the bottom of the sixth as errors plagued the Yuba defense which allowed the Mustangs to tie the game at 11 with the bases still loaded and two outs in the inning. Tamia Roberts tripled to the left-center gap to score three runs and give the Mustangs a 13-11 lead. Vanessa Fritzler singled to score Roberts to lead 14-11 over Yuba and solidify a win after three straight fly outs in the seventh ended the game.
