Luna's Big Day Earns SBVC Split

Luna's Big Day Earns SBVC Split

Patricia Levi Luna had two home runs and six runs batted in - including a game-ending sacrifice fly in the fifth - to help the San Bernardino Valley College softball team bounce back from a game one loss to beat Chaffey College 8-0 in the second game of an Inland Empire Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday afternoon at Chavez Park in Colton.

Much like the first game, the Wolverines took the lead in the first inning of game two. Aniya Lane led off with a walk, then stole second and advanced to third. Then Luna blasted a pitch from Chaffey's Isabella Anzueto over the fence in left to give SBVC a 2-0 lead.

The Wolverines broke open the game in the fourth. Marlene Velasquez led off with a single to left, and went to second on a wild pitch. Eileen Lopez hit a grounder between first and second for an infield single, moving Velasquez to third. Lane singled home Velasquez to chase Anzueto from the game. Celeste Paniagua entered the game, and her first pitch was wild, allowing Lopez and Lane to advance to third and second respectively. Luna then took a pitch over the fence in center field to make it 6-0. 

Sereya Diaz followed with a single, and went to second on the second wild pitch of the inning. Joclynn Redell grounded out to second, moving Diaz to third, and she scored on a single by Audi Pettaway

But the Wolverines would need the bottom of the fifth to end the game. Velasquez led off the inning with another single, and Lopez followed with a single to right. Lane drove a single to load the bases for Luna. This time, Luna lofted a ball to left-center that was caught, but deep enough to allow Velasquez to score and end the game.

The game two win was a strong follow-up for pitcher Sofia Gonzalez, who got the loss in game one. In the second game, she scattered three hits to earn the shutout.

SBVC took the lead in the first thanks to its leadoff batters. Lane lined a triple to the fence in right-center, then scored on a ground out by Luna. And it stayed that way until the fifth.

With one out, Chaffey's Violet Salazar doubled just off the glove of Lopez in right field. Ginger Duncan hit a pinch-hit single to move Salazar to third. After Pettaway snagged a liner off the bat Coralyn Garcia for the second out, Marissa Marquez sent a single to left to tie the game. Lorissa Avila then lined a double off the fence in left to score Marquez and re-entering runner Sabrina Garcia to give Chaffey a 3-1 lead.

SBVC had a chance in the seventh, getting the tying run to first with one out, but they could not push the runners home against Salazar.

In game one, Gonzalez struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and all three Chaffey runs. Alyssa Fonseca shut down the Panthers the rest of the way, allowing one hit in the final 2 1/3.

Luna finished the day 2-for-6 at the plate with two runs and seven total RBI. Meanwhile, Velasquez was 4-for-6 on the afternoon, scoring twice, while Lane was 3-for-6 with three runs and an RBI.