Riverside Goes Down Swinging

Riverside City College took on its third-straight ranked opponent and put up a fight, but couldn't hold off No. 11-ranked Antelope Valley College in a 10-4 loss on Thursday.

The Tigers slip to 0-5 on the year, while the Marauders improve to 4-0 overall.

RCC finished with eight hits in the game, led by Alysha Kendrick's 3-for-3 performance at the plate with three RBIs. Karly Romero (1-for-2), Carissa O'Neil (1-for-3), Giselle Flores Morales (1-for-4), Ryli Wilson (1-for-4), and Ruby McDonald (1-for-2) also had hits for the Tigers.

AVC struck first in the top of the first, but RCC answered right back as Kendrick drilled an RBI base hit to score Romero.

The Marauders jumped out to a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, but the Tigers kept battling and took back two runs. Romero led the inning off with a single down the right field line before O'Neil laid down a perfect base hit bunt to join her on base. Morales then stepped up to the plate and doubled to send one runner in before O'Neil came home on a Kendrick sacrifice fly.

AVC created some more separation in the sixth with four runs to jump out to 10-3, but RCC never gave up, and Kendrick knocked a solo home run in the seventh before the visitors grabbed the third out to take the 10-4 result.

The Tigers head to Bakersfield College for a pair of games, first taking on Ventura College at 2 p.m. before facing the host Renegades at 4:30 p.m.