Gauchos silenced in opener

The Saddleback softball team opened the season with a 6-0 loss at home to Pasadena City College on Monday evening at the softball diamond.  The Gauchos will try to hit the restart button on Friday.

Saddleback finished the 2017 season by getting shut out by Santa Ana College last April and was hoping to reverse the trend to start the 2018 campaign.  Unfortunately, Pasadena City had other plans and received a pitching gem from starter Britney Lopez, who held the Gauchos hitless.

PCC took a 2-0 lead in the opening inning and never looked back as the Lancers improved to 2-0 on the season.  Pasadena City scored two more times in the fifth inning and added two insurance runs in the seventh inning, grinding out eight hits on the night.

Saddleback started McKenna Walton on the mound, who pitched four innings before giving way to Carlee Russo in the fifth inning.  The two struck out four while surrendering eight hits.

Saddleback didn't have a base-runner until the fifth inning when Russo led off the inning with a walk.  She was bunted over to second by on a sacrifice by Jasmine Beverly but was eventually stranded at second base.  Russo would again walk in the seventh inning and finish as the only Gaucho to reach base.

Saddleback (0-1) will look to get into the win column on Friday when they host Santa Barbara City College.  The Gauchos and Vaqueros are scheduled to start at 2:00 PM.