Six-Run Inning, Clean Defense Propels Vaqueros to Win at LA Mission

By Jimmy Friery

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Softball team (10-12, 2-1) beat Los Angeles Mission (LA Mission) 6-1 on Saturday on the road, thanks in part to a six-run third inning.

Sammi Korte threw a 76-pitch complete game four-hitter, allowing just one run in the first inning before closing the game with six scoreless. She and the Vaqueros limited "freebies" extremely well; the defense did not commit an error, and Korte allowed just one walk in a very clean team performance.

LA Mission scored that one first-inning run via a two-out single, stolen base, and another single. They would only get two more hits—both singles—the entire game.

Leadoff hitter Bella Cox got the rally going with a one-out walk in the top of the third. After Ruby Bartholomew's single, Mia Gaitan's single scored Cox to tie the game, and an error advanced her and Bartholomew to second and third. Gracie Verdugo went up the middle to score them both—taking a 3-1 lead—followed by Sammi Korte's single to make it five batters in a row reaching safely.

Still with one out, Anja Perreira reached on the second error of the inning to load the bases. After a strikeout for the second out, Aila Leoffler earned an RBI via a hit-by-pitch. The inning extended, Maite Juarez—who led off the inning with a flyout—got redemption by ripping a two-run single to left-center to make it 6-1 Santa Barbara.

Korte prevented any signs of a comeback by retiring the next 10 LA Mission batters. Neither team had a baserunner reach second base until two outs in the bottom of the seventh as the Vaqueros cruised to victory.

The Vaqueros are back at home on Tuesday, hosting East Los Angeles for a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. Conference play resumes at Cuesta on Thursday.