Chaffey sweeps big doubleheader to remain in first place in IEAC
The Chaffey Panthers hosted the Victor Valley College softball team on Friday in a doubleheader showdown with conference title implications. Chaffey came into the day with a 10-1 conference mark, one game ahead of Mt. San Jacinto College, while Victor Valley was in third place, needing two wins to keep playoff hopes alive.
In game one, the Panthers fell behind 1-0 in the first as VVC put together two singles and a walk for a score. That was their last lead of the game as Chaffey responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
With one out, sophomore Rosyvette Garcia drilled a home run over the left field fence, and four batters later sophomore Allison Waite drove an RBI single to score sophomore Fernanda Cano for the 2-1 lead.
The Panthers added two more in the second inning on an RBI double by freshman Nevaeha Tarin and an RBI single by sophomore Lauren Chappell to make it 4-2.
With the score 4-3, Chaffey erupted with a 7-run fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Chappell drove in 2 more runs on a single and four batters later freshman Mia Britt singled in two runs. Waite added an RBI single and then freshman Tatiana Navarro, in a pinch-hit situation, drove a double off the fence to plate an additional two runs, making it 11-3 for the Panthers.
Chaffey finished off the mercy-rule win in the bottom of the 5th inning when Garcia singled and moved to third on a Chappell double. She then scampered home on a passed ball to give the Panthers the 12-4 win.
Freshman Bryanna Ortega scattered 8 hits, upping her season record to 11-6.
In game two, the Chaffey bats went silent. Victor Valley scored two unearned runs in the 2nd inning and held that 2-0 lead until the bottom of the 4th.
Finally, the Panthers pieced together three doubles and a VVC error to take the 3-2 lead.
With freshman Mia Britt keeping the Victor Valley bats in check, Chaffey added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Cano and Britt both picked up RBI’s and then freshman Khila Estrada drove in two more on a bases-loaded single.
In the 6th inning, Chappell had another RBI double and Cano followed with an RBI single to close out the scoring for the 9-2 Chaffey win.
Britt tossed five innings, allowing no earned runs and freshman Sarah Hernandez pitched a scoreless 6th and 7th to finish up.
Chaffey is now 12-1 in conference with two games remaining, 27-10 overall, and has already clinched a spot in the postseason. The Panthers can clinch their 4th Inland Empire Athletic
Conference championship in the past five seasons with a win at San Bernardino Valley College on Friday.
Photo credit by Larry Mowrey