The Vikings lost 7-6 to El Camino on Feb. 24 after an intense and close battle, but ultimately they fell short of a comeback win and moved their record to 10-3.
El Camino jumped to an early lead, scoring the first run in the top of the first inning, but the Vikings outfielder, Riannah Maulupe, hit an RBI single and Mikaela Pacheco hit a two RBI double, giving the Vikings a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
“Our approach on the plate was that we knew she was throwing inside and out, so at first, we were looking for something inside to drive it hard and we knew she was going to throw her change up, so I was looking out for that. And in my approach I didn’t want to change up the first pitch, so I was looking for something hard to drive up the middle or drive right side to score my base runners in”, Maulupe said.
El Camino would get things started by tying up the game with a two-run home run, given up by pitcher Adalise Valenzuela, leaving them tied at 3-3 in the top of the third.
LBCC Vikings softball pitcher Adalise Valenzuela releases a pitch to the batter in their game against El Camino College on Feb 24, 2026 at the LBCC Softball field. The Vikings fell behind with a score of 7-6. (Emma Rojas)
Valenzuela battled hard on the mound, going five innings, giving up nine hits, six earned runs, and striking out three batters.
“Honestly I probably could have been more confident. I feel like I didn’t have my team’s back today. I honestly feel that I probably should’ve been out of my head, probably used my legs more”, said Valenzuela.
Natania Leomiti, the Vikings’ first baseman, talked about their season and their overall chemistry.
“We just get along really well, and I think that’ll just show on the field, just having each other’s back and just being there for one another, just being a great teammate to each other,” said Leomiti.
The Vikings came up short in the bottom of the seventh to complete the comeback.
“It’s always going to be back and forward when you play really good teams and I’m really proud of my team who are willing to fight and we get to face (El Camino) them two more times so we’re really excited about that,” head coach and director of softball operations, Megan Martinez said.
“We put a lot of pressure on our players during practice. For moments like these we continue to compete, we have a good bench, and so we compete them against each other, and that way in moments like these, they can be ready to go,” said coach Martinez.
The Vikings will play Ventura College at home on Tuesday at 2 P.M.
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