(Walnut) – By John M. Sherrard – The Mt. SAC softball team won its 25th game of the season to remain atop the South Coast Conference standings, 4-2, over visiting Long Beach City College Tuesday afternoon.
With the victory, the Mounties won the season series against the Vikings, winning two of three games.
Freshman pitcher Jessica Olvera (John F. Kennedy HS) won her ninth victory of the season against only one loss. The right hander went 4 2/3 innings and freshman Tiffany Kennedy-Cummings (Chino HS) pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for her second save of the week.
Olvera (0.63 ERA), Kennedy-Cummings (0.97) and freshman Racqual Espinoza (0.56) are three of the top five ERA leaders in the state, with Espinoza (Golden Valley HS) at the top of the list in the CCCAA with a miniscule 0.56 ERA.
The Mt. SAC pitching staff leads the state with a 0.79 ERA.
Mt. SAC freshman right fielder Alyssa Rasso (Corona HS) added to her team-leading hit total going 2 for 3. Rasso, who leads the team with 40 hits, also had an RBI and a stolen base.
Shortstop Kayla Sok (Glendora HS) started the scoring for the Mounties in the first inning. The freshman opened the game with a walk and stole second and third for two of her three thefts on the day. Sok added to her state-leading total of 32 steals for the season.
Sok was awarded home for the first run after LBCC pitcher Brooke Loard (8-8) was called for an illegal pitch.
Rasso, who upped her average to a team-leading .455, singled to right field, scoring Jeffress in the third inning for the 2-0 lead.
The Mounties extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning after Jeffress reached first on a fielders choice. The Vikings second baseman threw home trying to throw out freshman center fielder Bree Maikai (Oak Hill HS), but the catcher mishandled the ball, allowing Maikai to score. The speedy Sok, who was at second, aggressively scored also for the fourth run of the game.
Long Beach cut the Mt. SAC lead in half in the fifth inning, but reliever Kennedy-Cummings retired seven of the last eight batters to preserve the win.