Gauchos crown Monarchs for third straight win

The Saddleback softball team won its third straight game on Friday with a 6-1 victory over Los Angeles Valley College at the Saddleback Diamond.  The Gauchos scored in four of the first five innings in putting away the Monarchs.

Saddleback started the season with a tough loss to Cerritos, but since then has collected themselves by winning three straight.  The Gauchos took advantage of some miscues in the field by LA Valley on Friday and collected some key hits in leading from start to finish.

Saddleback opened the scoring in the first inning when Samantha Molina drove home Brittney Chacon, who had reached base on an error to start the game.  They scored another run in the second when Madison Newby stole third and came home to score on an error on the third baseman.

The Gauchos tacked on two more runs in the third inning when Valley walked Drew Moore and then hit Hope Manuszak with a pitch to start the inning with two runners on base.  Moore later scored on a wild pitch before Gabriella Ertle singled to score Manuszak for the fourth run of the game to put Saddleback up 4-1.  Ertle (pictured) would finish with a team-high two hits, later driving in another run in the fifth inning.

Pitcher Nelsa Barilea followed up her no-hitter earlier in the week with another solid outing.  Barilea surrendered five hits over seven innings, striking out three while walking just one in improving to 3-1 on the season.

Saddleback will play again on Tuesday when they host Grossmont College.  The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM.