Salcido & Altamirano Go Yard in Win Over Saddleback

The long ball highlighted the Santiago Canyon College softball team's play this afternoon as they hosted the Saddleback College Gauchos in game one of a three-game series in Orange Empire Conference (OEC) action. The Hawks battled through a back-and-forth affair en route to a 6-5 victory.

The Hawks put up the first five runs of the game in exclamatory fashion as all five runs came via homerun. Sophomore right fielder Selena Salcido, who has played in the last 10 games while starting in eight of them, came up to bat with two outs in the bottom of the second inning and deposited a two-run jack over the left-center wall. Freshman left fielder Tasneem Kerdiya, who reached on a double to left field, scored on the blast.

The power at the plate was infectious as freshman designated player Isabella Altamirano rounded the bases on a towering three-run jack to left field with one out in the bottom of the third to increase the Hawk's lead to 5-0. Freshman shortstop Yasmine Garcia and sophomore center fielder Alyssa Patlan scored on the round tripper after reaching on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, respectively.

Sophomore Madison Lee was tossed the pearl for the start and blanked the Bobcats through the opening three innings, but a fielder's choice and three-consecutive singles led to Saddleback trimming the deficit to 5-4 with nobody out. However, freshman reliever Nadeen Kerdiya entered in relief and stopped the bleeding. She began her outing by walking in the game-tying run, but hunkered down and retired the following three batters.

The Hawks regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning after Garcia sparked a one-out rally with a two-bagger to right-center field. She came around to score on a two-out knock from Altamirano eventually leading to the victory.

Altamirano drove in a career-high four RBI highlighted by her first-career homerun. She went 2-for-4 on the day. Salcido barreled her first homer of the year en route to a 1-for-2 day that also featured a run scored.

N. Kerdiya (2-4) picked up her second win of the season after entering in the fourth inning. She pitched four innings of three-hit ball which included three punch outs.