STORY BY JONATHAN SINTORA, STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY OSCAR RENDON
Cypress College Softball celebrated “Sophomore Day” with a win over El Camino College on Wednesday, April 24.
Going into the matchup, the Chargers were second behind Fullerton College in the Orange Empire Conference. The Chargers’ five-game win streak heading into Wednesday had the team feeling good about their game against El Camino.
After falling into an early 1-0 deficit, the Chargers quickly responded with a run in the bottom half of the first inning. The game remained tied until the top half of the fourth inning when El Camino retook the lead.
Once again, the Chargers responded with a big 5-run fourth inning this time. Cypress’ Lizbeth Gomez started the rally with a 2-run double. Timely stealing by Nanea Kyle and Jazzy Lopez kept the rally going, resulting in the Chargers’ fourth run. The Chargers capped off the inning with two more runs, following RBI singles from Makayla Motis and Jaylene Duarte. This late-game push would be the difference as the Chargers went on to win 7-2.
After the game, Head Coach Brad Pickler commented on the team’s win and recent success. Pickler said, “They’re [El Camino] ranked number five, so it’s a huge win going into the playoffs.”
Pickler continued, “They’re hot right now, they’ve won a bunch of games… If they’re the hottest team in the South, and we just beat them, let’s go.”
In celebration of “Sophomore Day,” Sophomores Ashlynn Ortiz and Mikayla Jacobsen shared what the team has meant to them and their success.
“Coming into today, having Sophomore Day… we ended up with the win. Ortiz said, “We came together and it felt really good.”
Throughout her time with the team, Jacobsen expressed how being a part of a team has helped her grow beyond the field. Jacobsen said, “It’s just a good little family… We could see that in the workplace and in school.”
The Chargers finished the season 17-4 in Orange Empire Conference play and 33-7 overall. They also take a 7-game win streak heading into the post-season, which begins on Friday, May 3.
