(Walnut, CA) With five straight wins, the Mt. SAC Softball Team finished off the weekend with a doubleheader sweep of Bakersfield, 9-1 (5 Inn.) and Antelope Valley College, 7-6 (9 Inn.) in non-conference action.

The 3CFCA State No. 5 ranked Mounties improve to 32-6 on the season heading into the final week of play.

In the first game, the Mounties needed only five innings to defeat the No. 3 state Renegades behind the pitching of Briana Wheeler with eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Ericka Tiscareno recorded the final two outs for Mt. SAC.

First baseman Ciara Granado (2 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBIs, SB) and catcher Michelle Santiago (2 for 3, R, 2 RBIs, Dbl.) led the Mounties with two hits and two RBIs each.

The Mounties jumped on the Bakersfield starter for five runs in the first inning.

Highlighting the inning was a two-run single by Granado scoring Caitlyn Felina and Felix, followed by run-scoring singles by Santiago and right fielder Alissa Perez (1 for 3, R, RBI, SB). Amanda Esquivel also knocked in a run on a ground out to shortstop.

Game two was a different story as the Mounties trailed early, 4-0, but worked the first of three comebacks in the game to tie AVC 4-4 in the fifth inning.

AVC would take a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning, but the comeback kids scored two of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game a second time, 6-6.

Granado doubled down the left field line scoring Felina (2 for 4, R, RBI, Dbl.) to trail by one, 6-5. With Felina now at third, Adriana Ramirez knocked in Felina with a sacrifice fly to center for the 6-6 tie.

Sophomore shortstop Carissa Felix (1 for 3, R, RBI, 2 BB) would end the marathon 3-hour game with a single just inside the third base line scoring Ramirez who walked to open the ninth.

"AVC beat us at the beginning of the season and (Saturday) was a good test for us," said Felix of the win.

"As coach Alex (Mascarenas) said, we grew a lot in this game and this day."

"She (AVC pitcher) was throwing a lot of changeups and I was looking for it. I just wanted to hit it hard."

Mt. SAC head coach Ruby Rojas said how important it was to finish the game.

"For the team to learn how to dig deep, that's how the playoffs are going to be," Mt. SAC coach Ruby Rojas said.

"You're not always going to play perfect but the fact is how you're going to end the game. It's how you finish."

"With a young team they are seeing that every team is going to come with their best. The great thing about this team that is very different than other Mt. SAC teams is that they don't get rattled when there's pressure situations."

Mt. SAC finishes the regular season with two home games, its last South Coast Conference North game on Tuesday April 24 against Chaffey College (3pm) and a rain makeup game against College of Canyons on Wednesday April 25(4pm).

The Chaffey game is the sophomore game honoring Carissa Felix, Sasha Allen, Michelle Santiago, Nikki Soto, Jessica Olvera, Jackie Olvera and Michelle Banales.

"It went by fast, I can't believe it," said Felix of her two years at Mt. SAC. "You're just studying as a fulltime student and the girls said it last year that it went by fast."

"You don't count the days, you just go with it."

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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.