Posted: Apr 22, 2013
Barrios’ Home Run in Bottom of Seventh Lifts Tigers to 5-4 Home Win over MSAC
RIVERSIDE – Natalie Barrios socked her 19th home run off the season with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning as the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's fastpitch softball team edged the visiting Mt. San Antonio College (MSAC) Mounties, 5-4, in a non-conference contest Monday afternoon (Apr. 22) at Brown Field (Evans Sports Complex).
Riverside – the top-ranked team in Southern California (and tied for first in the state) – improved to 35-3 with the win, its second consecutive win and 27th in its last 29 games. MSAC its record fall to 34-4.
The third lead of the game proved to be the charm for RCC. The Tigers opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning, only to see the Mounties tie it with two in the fourth. RCC scratched out single runs in the fourth and fifth frames, only to see MSAC tie with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh before Barrios' circuit clout gave the Tigers the "walk-off" win.
Barrios, a sophomore shortstop from Corona – Centennial HS, socked a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence for her 19th round tripper of the season to end the game.
In the first, sophomore 3B Courtney Brown (Yucaipa / Yucaipa HS) doubled home the game's first run and scored the second run on an infield error. Brown went two for three with two runs and one RBI to pace the Tigers.
In the fourth, freshman catcher Christina Mohl (San Bernardino – Cajon HS) stroked a two-out run-producing single to give RCC a 3-2 lead. In the fifth, Brown singled with two outs, went to third on a double by sophomore 1B Katherine Macias (Riverside – Arlington HS / Yavapai CC – Prescott, AZ), and scored on a throwing error from the outfield to give RCC a 4-2 lead.
Undaunted, the Mounties bounced back with the tying runs in the top of the seventh. With one out, a walk, an infield hit (along with a fielding error), and a single to right field coupled with a fielding error allowed the tying runs to score and put a runner at third. A groundout and a fly out kept the game tied at 4-4 before Barrios untied it with her home run.
Sophomore RHP Chelsea Ponce (Norwalk / San Bernardino – Cajon HS) went the distance for RCC and allowed four runs (three earned) on three walks. She had six strikeouts and improved to 20-2. Ponce's counterpart, MSAC starting sophomore RHP Emily Seidel (Burbank / Village Christian HS) also went the distance (6-1/3 innings) and allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks. Seidel had five strikeouts, but saw her record fall to 21-3.
Both teams conclude their regular seasons this week. Mt. San Antonio will visit the Long Beach City College Vikings in a South Coast Conference (SCC) game on Tuesday, Apr. 23, at 3 p.m. MSAC is 20-0 in SCC action Riverside will host the Fullerton College Hornets on Wednesday, Apr. 24, at 6 p.m. in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) contest. RCC is 17-3 in OEC action.