Softball season ends at Canyons

The Saddleback softball team saw its season come to an end on Sunday at College of the Canyons as they dropped two straight games in the best-of-three series.  Just one day after scoring 14 runs in five innings, the Gauchos were blanked by the Cougars in two straight games to finish 23-16.

Saddleback made the trip to Valencia for a three-game set, and it ended up being like one of the rides across the freeway at Magic Mountain.  The Gauchos experienced the highest of highs on Saturday, but the lowest of lows on Sunday when they were trounced by the No. 5 Cougars in two straight games. 

Saddleback was nearly flawless on Saturday when they battered Canyons ace Kimmie Lockhart for 14 runs on 14 hits in winning 14-5 in five innings.  On day two, Lockhart owned the day as she held Saddleback to one hit in game two and five hits in game three, turning back a Gaucho squad that had visions of advancing to the Super Regionals next weekend. 

Canyons scored six runs in the first inning, two in the second, three in the third and one more in the fourth in evening the series at 1-1 with a 12-0 win in five innings.  The lone hit of the game was a single by Ariel Carrillo in the third inning as Lockhart improved to 23-5 on the season. 

Game three was much of the same, as Saddleback couldn't keep Canyons off the scoreboard in falling 13-0.  Gauchos pitchers were touched for 14 hits in game three and 27 hits on the day as Canyons found their groove in advancing to the Super Regionals. 

It was the second straight season that Saddleback was knocked out of the playoffs by College of the Canyons.  The Cougars improved to 32-9-2 wit the two wins on Sunday.