The score is tied 3-3 as the Long Beach Vikings are up to bat at the top of the second inning and No. 12 Vikings catcher Zara Mineo waits for the perfect pitch to bring runners home.
With teammates on second and third base, there’s an opportunity to score. She hits a line drive down the right-center field and sprints all the way to third base as two runners ahead of her make it home, giving the Vikings a 5-3 lead.
Long Beach City College defeated the El Camino Warriors softball team (9-4) on Tuesday, March 24 at the Warriors’ home field. The Warriors have lost five consecutive games (18-8).
“I was kinda struggling mentally. I just go up there, I blackout all the noise, and I just hit, and I do what I know how to do. Doing that [scoring] helped me regain confidence in myself and my abilities,” Mineo said.
The El Camino Warriors scored three runs in the first inning. No.12 utility Emily Gamboa doubled to left field for an RBI (3-2), allowing No. 7 pitcher and offielder Jazmin McHenry to score. The momentum continued as Gamboa and No.15 infielder Emma Padilla scored.
El Camino College Warriors pitcher and outfielder Jazmin McHenry, gets hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first inning, advancing to first base on Tuesday, March 24. She’s the first runner on base for ECC Warriors. (Frances Que | The Union)
“It was a really good game, and towards the end, our energy got a little low once the score changed. We battled until the end,” Warriors No.5 catcher Bryanna Morales said.
A strategy utilized by the Vikings was bunting, allowing runners to advance. Instead of taking full swings, batters lightly tapped the ball into the infield. Meanwhile, their pitcher, No.8 Ella Haugo, focused on throwing strikes.
“I just throw strikes and let my defense work,” Haugo said. I don’t need to overpower them and strike them out. I just need to make sure that they hit it to my defense because they’re good.”
As both teams are gearing up to play back to back games this week, their goal is to qualify for state championships.
El Camino College Warriors and Long Beach City College Vikings line up, introducing themselves before the match starts on March 24 at the ECC softball field. Players go down the line to give each other high fives. (Frances Que | The Union)
With several tough opponents ahead, the Warriors are strategizing on plays they can improve.
“There’s always that one inning in a game that can decide it, and today was that case. There in the second inning, we gave up six runs, and that’s the difference in the game,” Warriors’ assistant coach Michael Smith said.