Posted: Apr 16, 2013
Tigers Come From Behind for 5-4 Home Win Over Palomar
RIVERSIDE – Coming from behind in a bit of a "gut-check" win, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's fastpitch softball team shaded the visiting Palomar College Comets, 5-4, in a non-conference contest Tuesday afternoon (Apr. 16) at Brown Field (Evans Sports Complex).
Riverside – the top-ranked team in Southern California (and tied for first in the state) – improved to 33-2 with the win, its ninth in a row and 25th in its last 26 games. Palomar saw its record fall to 22-10.
The Tigers opened the scoring with solo home runs in the first and second innings, then saw the Comets take a 4-2 lead after 4-1/2 innings, only to bounce back with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth.
In the first, sophomore SS Natalie Barrios (Corona – Centennial HS) socked a 3-2 pitch over the center-field fence for her 16th circuit clout of the season. In the second, freshman RF Austin Schmidt (Riverside – Notre Dame HS) drilled a 3-2 offering over the left-field fence for her first home run of the season.
After Palomar edged to within 2-1 in the fourth, the Comets posted a three-spot in the fifth when freshman 1B Paige Falconieri (Escondido / Escondido HS) blasted a 1-2 delivery for a three-run home run, her seventh round tripper of the year.
But in the bottom of the fifth, Barrios drew a bases-loaded walk to get the Tigers to within 4-3. In the sixth, a sacrifice fly by Schmidt allowed sophomore 3B Courtney Brown (Yucaipa / Yucaipa HS) to score the tying run and a RBI single through the left side by freshman catcher Christina Mohl (San Bernardino – Cajon HS) allowed sophomore 2B Gina Grijalva (Fontana – Summit HS) to race home from second with the go-ahead run.
Schmidt had two hits and two RBI, Barrios had two RBI and Grijalva had two hits for Riverside. Falconieri went two for two with a single and two runs in addition to the home run for Palomar.
Sophomore RHP Chelsea Ponce (Norwalk / San Bernardino – Cajon HS), who came on in the top of the sixth inning for Riverside in relief of sophomore RHP Katherine Macias (Riverside – Arlington HS / Yavapai CC – Prescott, AZ), pitched the final two innings to notch the victory and improve to 18-1.
Palomar sophomore RHP Brenna Parker (Vista / Vista HS), who came on in the bottom of the sixth in relief of freshman RHP Carlie Daniel (San Marcos / San Marcos HS) and allowed the tying and winning runs, was ticketed for the loss (9-5).
Both teams return to conference action tomorrow, Wednesday, Apr. 17, at 3 p.m. when Palomar visits the Grossmont College Griffins in a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game and Riverside visits the Santiago Canyon College Hawks in an Orange Empire Conference contest.