Softball wins fourth straight

The Saddleback softball team is surging at the right time and picked up its fourth straight win on Tuesday with an 8-5 decision at Riverside City College in extra innings.  The Gauchos scored three runs in the eighth inning for the win to move within a half game of third place.

Saddleback was a team struggling offensively through the first two-thirds of the season but since the beginning of April seems to have founds its stroke.  The Gauchos posted eight runs on Tuesday, which was the third time in the past four games they have scored at least eight.

Saddleback took an early lead in the second inning when they scored three times for a 4-2 lead.  The Gauchos had four straight singles to start the inning as Madison Newby, Hope Manuszak, Amanda Padilla and Nicole Gliko led the charge.  Later in the inning Drew Moore had a sacrifice groundout for a 4-2 lead and Saddleback was off and running.

Riverside battled back to tie the game in the third inning and actually took a lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Saddleback responded with a run of their own in the sixth when Gliko doubled home Manusza to tie the score at 5-5.

The score remained even into extra innings when Saddleback made a move, taking advantage of some suspect defense by the Tigers.  Newby started the inning by reaching base on a fielding error by shortstop Danielle Lopez.  She then advanced to second on a wild pitch from Laura Mendez.  With no outs in the inning, coach Nick Trani called a sacrifice bunt from Manuszak, moving Newby over to third with the potential winning run.  Amanda Padilla proceeded to walk and steal second base, putting runners at second and third.  Later in the inning with two outs, Riverside's Lopez committed her second error of the inning, allowing Newby and Padilla to score for a 7-5 advantage.  Moore would follow with a double and the game was quickly out of hand.

Nelsa Delagente started and pitched a complete game for Saddleback in improving to 14-16 on the season.  She was particularly good in the final inning, striking out two to finish off the Tigers.

Saddleback (16-16, 9-8) is now one-half game behind third place Fullerton College in the Orange Empire Conference standings with four conference games and one non-conference game remaining.    The Gauchos will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday when they host first place Cypress College.  The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM.