Warriors Sweep Moorpark, Advance to Super Regionals

TORRANCE, Calif. --- No. 5 El Camino College turned a close game into a rout in one inning to secure a 10-1 victory in six innings over No. 12 Moorpark in game two of the 3C2A Southern California Regionals at the ECC Softball Field.

The Warriors benefited from five Raiders' errors including two in an eight-run sixth inning to turn a tight game into a run-rule victory. Overall the Warriors scored three unearned runs in the game but capitalized on the miscues in the sixth with five RBI hits and a bases-loaded walk to break the game open.

Kat Gutierrez got the win in the circle as she tossed three inning of relief and allowed one run on four hits. She replaced Madilyn Radeke who started the game and went two innings and Gabriela Ortega closed out the bottom of the sixth, allowing two hits.

Amanda Smith took the loss for the Raiders, tossing a complete game and giving up 10 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits. She walked two and struck out four.

Offensively, the Warriors got hits from every player in the starting batting order except Cheyenne Navarro, who was robbed of an extra-base hit in the fifth inning but still credited with a sacrifice fly and she wound up leading the team with two RBI on the day.

Fresh off a well-pitched game one on Friday, the two squads were back at it on Saturday as neither team could muster much offense early. But the Warriors opened the scoring in the third as Emily Esparza singled to right and then advanced to second on an error by right-fielder Danielle Bishop.   

Caitlin Michaels entered to pinch run and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Radeke to put the go-ahead run on third base with one out.

Anahi Pintado then had an epic at-bat against Smith, fouling off five pitches in a nine-pitch at bat before lacing a double to right-center to plate Michaels and put the Warriors up 1-0.

The Raiders responded in the fourth inning though, scoring their first run of the series with a pair of two-out hits of Gutierrez including an RBI double by Kylie Kolkowski to tie things up.

In the fifth, the Warriors took the lead right back as Esparza again led off the frame with a single to right. Radeke then hit a dribbler back to the circle and Smith elected to try and get the lead runner but her throw was too high and went into center field. Alyssa Tavera then entered to pinch run for Esparza, putting an end to her day. Pintado sacrificed the runners over and then Emma Garcia walked to load the bases.

Navarro then blasted a 1-0 pitch to right field and over Bishops head, but the Raiders right-fielder made a spectacular catch as the ball went in-and-out of her glove before she secured the ball again while still in a full sprint running towards the wall.

Tavera scored easily on the sacrifice fly but the other two runners had to retreat to their bases and stayed put. Smith then got Malia Martin to fly out to end the frame and keep the damage to just one run.

After Gutierrez retired the Raiders in the bottom half of the inning, the Raiders' train came off its tracks in the sixth, beginning with a one-out double by Julianna Vasquez.

Lilly Lewis singled in pinch-runner Aaliyah Aguirre to put ECC up 3-1 and then the errors began. Ashley Salas, who replaced Esparza at first, singled to right and then Bishop's throw to get Lewis sailed into the dugout, allowing Salas to advance all the way to third on the play.

Radeke then singled in Salas for a 5-1 lead and the Warriors proceeded to load the bases as Pintado was hit by a pitch and Garcia singled.

Navarro drew a walk to force in a run and then Martin followed with a routine single through the right side that should have only scored one run. But left-fielder Mia Gregory overran the ball and it went all the way to the wall, allowing everyone to score including Martin to put ECC up 10-1.

Ortega would lock down the final three outs in the bottom of the inning to send the Warriors on to the next round.

The Warriors will now face No. 4 seed and 2024 South Coast Conference champions Mount San Antonio in the 3C2A Super Regionals.

It will be the Warriors' first trip to the second round of the playoffs since 2019. The series is set to begin on Thursday at Mt. SAC.