Softball battles back for split

The Saddleback softball team earned a split in a double-header with College of the Canyons on Saturday at the Saddleback Softball Complex.  The Bobcats dropped the opener, 3-10, before battling back for a 6-4 win in the late game.

Saddleback was sluggish at first as Canyons took a 2-0 lead in the top half of the second inning and never relinquished the lead.  The Cougars scored seven runs over the first four innings in taking a 7-1 advantage.  Saddleback battled back for a couple of runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning to close the gap to 7-3, but Canyons again kicked the offense in gear and scored three more times in the top half of the sixth inning to take a commanding lead.  The Cougars wrapped out 17 hits in the game while the Saddleback defense committed four errors and never looked like the team that entered with a 7-1 record.

Game two looked different from the outset.  Saddleback scored three times in the bottom half of the opening inning in taking a 3-0 lead.  The Bobcats had four hits and two walks in the inning.  Tasneem Kerdiya opened the scoring when she had a single to left field that scored both McKenzie Lombard and Cristen Areopagita.  Later in the inning, Mia Fogle singled home Ka'ui Garcia and the Cats were off and running.

Saddleback had a 4-0 lead at one point before Canyons battled back with two runs in both the third and fourth innings to tie the game at 4-4.  Saddleback immediately responded when Areopagita had an inside-the-park home run in the bottom half of the fourth inning to give Saddleback a lead it would never relinquish.  The Bobcats would add an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth when Lombard blasted a homer to left field for a 6-4 lead.  Saddleback wrapped out 11 hits in the game, with Areopagita leading the way with a 3-for-3 performance and scoring three of the six runs.

Saddleback pitched Macy Smith in game two.  Smith pitched the entire game in improving to 4-1 on the season. 

Saddleback is now 8-2 to start the 2025 campaign.  The Bobcats will travel to Chaffey College to take on the Panthers on Wednesday.    Saddleback and Chaffey are scheduled to start at 2:00 PM in Rancho Cucamonga.