The Vikings won a pitcher’s duel, after seven innings, in front of a crowded home-house Tuesday against the Dons of Santa Ana. The Dons came into the matchup at 11-1 and the Vikings 8-3.
Behind the clutch pitching of Daisy Torres, and their situational offense, LBCC was able to win in the seventh inning with a walk-off walk earned by pinch hitter Racine Ruacho. The final score was 1-0.
Emily Rosas was pitching for Santa Ana, She was bringing some heat on a hot afternoon.
Torres had control of her pitches. She switched it up at the right time and it kept the Dons off balance.
Her change was deadly throwing the ball, slowing it for the split second the ball left her hand and eventually hit the catcher’s glove, or harmlessly made contact with the opposition’s bat, only to be safely secured for an out.
“Her changeup is killer. It’s always like that,” Jaylene Ross said.
It was a matchup of power vs. finesse.
The setting was a pristine softball complex, with a new car-smell-feel to it. Fans were crowding the stands on both sides of the diamond. Chatter poured out of each dugout. Allia Marquez’s lucky ribbon was in her hair.
“Since I’ve been here, we haven’t had a consistent field. We’ve had to change fields many times, and even to a park. And now finally we’re here,” Jade Wittman said.
Both pitchers split time in the pitcher’s circle for seven innings. The Dons had six hits going into the seventh and the Vikings had one. Neither had a run.
After starting the inning with a 3-0 count, Torres came up clutch and struck out Santa Ana’s Breanna Padilla for the first out of the extra inning. The next two outs were just a formality. The LBCC ace was ready to end it.
Catcher Jaylene Ross started the bottom of the seventh with an opposite-field double to deep left field.
“It was an outside fastball, or it could have been a screwball, but she had been throwing that all game,” Ross said.
Haley Veazie entered the game to pinch run for Ileana Rivera after Ileana was intentionally walked.
Pop-out to the pitcher, Hit by a pitch. The bases were loaded.
Right fielder Kristin Sanchez made good contact, but she reached base by fielder’s choice on a force out at home.
There were two outs and the bases were loaded.
Coach Megan Martinez turned to her bench in the most crucial moment in the game. Not only by bringing in Racine Ruacho to pinch-hit with the game on the line but the pinch-runner Veazie was also on third base.
“Our energy and resilience allowed us to be victorious in the 7th inning”. Coach Martinez said.
Ruacho walked and Veazie scored the game-winning run.
“Yeah, it was a good game,” said Veronica Torres.