It was a tale of two softball games Friday afternoon at Chavez Park in Colton. And they both ended the same way - with San Bernardino Valley College victorious.
The Wolverines pounded out 16 hits to win the first half of the Inland Empire Athletic Conference doubleheader 10-2 in five innings. Then, in the second game, the Wolverines were only able to muster five hits, but they were able to take advantage of two key mistakes for a 3-2 walkoff win.
SBVC batters started the first game hot. Six straight batters lined the ball to center field - five of them for singles - to allow the Wolverines to take a 2-0 lead after one.
In the second Eileen Lopez led off with a single up the middle, and Anyia Lane followed with a double to the fence in right-center. One out later, and Sereya Diaz singled both of them home to make it 4-0. Then, with two outs, Audi Pettaway tripled to right to score Diaz and make it 5-0.
The Wolverines put together a two-out rally in the third. Lopez singled to right, and Lane legged out an infield single - with both her and Lopez moving up on an errant throw. Patricia (Levi) Luna followed with a single to left center to score both runners. Diaz and Joclynn Redell both walked to load the bases, and Pettaway hit a ball to the gap in right center for a double, scoring Luna and Diaz.
That was more than enough for the Wolverines in the game. Starter Alyssa Fonseca spread out eight hits over four innings, and Luna pitched the fifth to close the game. Pettaway ended the game 3-for-3 with four runs batted in, while Diaz was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and two RBI. Both Lane and Luna were 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
In game two, the Eagles got off to an early lead as their first three batters reached to load the bases. Pitcher Sofia Gonzalez walked in a run before rallying back with a strikeout and then a line double play to end the threat with only one run scored.
The game stayed that way until the bottom of the third, when the Wolverines broke through. Diana Ruiz led off the inning and got a second life at the plate after a foul popup to first base was dropped. She worked back for a walk and was repalced by pinch runner Bryana Morales. Laila Montoya followed with a single, but was erased on a fielders' choice grounder by Lopez. Lane loaded the bases after she was hit by a pitch, and Luna followed with a double to right center to give SBVC a 2-1 lead.
That held up until the seventh. Mt. San Jacinto's Briana Zavala led off with a double, then scored on a bunt and error laid down by Veronika Prado, sending the game tied into the bottom of the seventh.
But SBVC had one last rally. Sierra Banuelos led off with a sharp single to left, and Ruiz followed with a double to left. One batter later, Banuelos came home on a wild pitch, ending the game.
Gonzalez picked up the win, allowing five hits and one earned run with five strikeouts.