COD Softball opens up Conference play with victory over Jaguars, 6-1

COD (4-2; 1-0) opened up Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) play by grabbing their first victory over the Southwestern Jaguars (3-4; 0-1) since 2014, 6-1.

After rainouts and cancellations moved many non-Conference matches, it was now time for PCAC play, as the Roadrunners welcomed in Southwestern and Desert jumped on the Jaguars early.

Southwestern pulled their starting pitcher at the plate during the coach's visit and the Roadrunners got to work early, speeding past the deceptive tactic to plate two runs in the bottom of the first. A one out double to left by freshman right handed starting pitcher Lauren Robinson (La Quinta H.S.), brought home sophomore short stop and leadoff hitter, Briana Alcorn (Indio H.S.) and sophomore third baseman Areli Moreno (Indio H.S.), to give Desert a 2-0 lead after one inning.

In the bottom of the second, the Roadrunners added to their total with another run. Desert kicked off the inning with a double to left by freshman second baseman Giselle Maldonado (Rancho Mirage H.S.), which was followed up by a single to center by sophomore right fielder Maria Celeste Padilla (Blythe Palo Verde Valley). At which time, the Jaguars head coach had seen enough and brought in the "starting" pitcher. Later in the inning, Moreno would slug a single to center, scoring Maldonado and giving the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead.

The Jaguars would score a run in the top of the fourth and appeared to be building momentum, which carried over into the top of the fifth as well, when Southwestern had runners on the corners with two outs, but a huge play by Maldonado, running down a sinking fly ball in right kept the score at 3-1. Maldonado would say after the game, "I was really amped, I was looking for anything I could get, I was really like waiting for that one ball to come to me so I could be aggressive and just take it."

Then Desert busted the doors wide open as they plated three runs on a huge error by the Jaguars third baseman. Maldonado would get a two out single to center and freshman second baseman Jacqueline Bolha (Yucca Valley H.S.) would drop a hit right over the first base bag and inside the line, cutting away from the perusing right fielder. Alcorn would then clobber an infield single so hard and with so much top spin right at the Southwestern first baseman that the ball was completely uncatchable, loading the bases with two outs.

With two outs, all Roadrunners on base were running on contact and Moreno punched a shot right at the Jaguars third baseman, who set her feet and promptly cratered a throw at her own first baseman, causing the Southwestern first baseman to case the ball into foul territory and up the right field line. This melee scored three critical runs for the Roadrunners.

After the game, Moreno commented on the play, stating "Honestly, I was just trying to get it in play, make them do more work, cause I didn't want to really pop it up somewhere because it would be easier, so I just wanted to get it on the ground, make them work."

Maldonado stated on her 3 for 3 day out of the 8 hole in the lineup, "I've really been working on my batting, with coach individually and working on my swing, because I've been having trouble at the beginning of the season and it just felt really great to have a 3 for 3, especially on a low spot in the lineup."

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information, Photo & Story provided by COD Sports Information.