Softball Edged by Mount San Antonio in Extras

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College suffered a heartbreaking 5-4 South Coast Conference loss to Mount San Antonio in extra innings on Saturday afternoon at the ECC Softball Field.

The Warriors (10-8, 2-5) suffered their third straight loss and second consecutive defeat in extra innings after falling at Long Beach 2-1 on Friday. The team overcame a two-run deficit in the sixth inning and had runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth inning but came up empty.

Alyssa Lujan was brilliant on the day as she was 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored to lead the offense for the Warriors. Kayla Inzunza, Viviana Tamayo and Breanna Padilla each recorded two hits on the day with Tamayo driving in two.

The game was back-and-forth from the beginning as the Mounties (13-3, 6-0) scored a run in the top of the first only for the Warriors to come back and score twice in their half of the frame to take a 2-1 lead.

In the third inning, the Mounties scored twice on two sacrifice flies to retake the lead and then added another run in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.

With five outs left, the Warriors rallied in the sixth as Inzunza singled to left with one away. A flyout gave the Warriors just one out left to work with in the frame but the offense came through. Malia Martin doubled to left-center and Inzunza advanced to third to put the game-tying run in scoring position. Tamayo then made it 4-3 with a single to the pitcher, plating Inzunza and putting runners on the corners.

The Warriors then pulled off a double steal with pinch-runner Madilyn Radeke swiping home and Tamayo taking second to tie things up before a strikeout ended the inning.

In the seventh, the Mounties got the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out but Noemi Sandoval pitched out of the jam with a flyout and a groundout to end the threat and, after the Warriors were retired in order in the seventh, the teams were off into extra innings.

In the eighth, the Mounties got a base runner on first but that was all. Meanwhile, the Warriors got a leadoff double from Inzunza to put the potential game-winning run in scoring position with no outs.

The Mounties went to the bullpen and brought in Alyssa Rubalcava to replace starter Aleyna Urbina. Rubalcava then got a groundout to short to keep the runner at second base. Destiny Ostorga then lined out to third and Tamayo flied out to left to end the threat.

In the ninth, the Mounties led off with a single from Janis Espino and then she stole second to get in scoring position with no outs. A flyout to right moved her over to third and then, following an infield single, Desiree Bravo grounded out to short to score Espino with the go-ahead run.

The Warriors had one last chance in the ninth as Padilla doubled with one out to put the game-tying run in scoring position. But a flyout and a foul out ended the game.

The Warriors will return to action on Tuesday as they host East Los Angeles with first pitch set for 3 p.m.