On Monday, Feb. 3, the Moorpark College softball team aimed to secure its third consecutive win of the season in their home opener against Cerritos College.
After the starting lineups were announced, the game was underway. Moorpark came out strong, opening the game with a 1-2-3 first inning, fueled by a couple of strikeouts. It was now the Raiders’ turn on offense, and the team could not have asked for a better start.
The game’s first three batters would reach base and were brought home with a grand slam by sophomore catcher Kylie Kolkowski. It was an early 4-0 Raiders lead in just one inning before an out was made. The inning would eventually end, and the Raiders would look to build on this lead as the game moved forward.
Cerritos saw the Raiders’ lead and quickly responded with a two-run home run of their own. This cut the deficit in half, making the score 4-2. Cerritos’ pitching adjusted, holding the Raiders scoreless until the inning ended.
The Raiders, with a decent lead, made some costly defensive errors that resulted in another run for Cerritos. This made the score a one-run game at 4-3. The Raiders needed to get plays going offensively to get back on track, but unfortunately, they had another scoreless inning.
The fourth inning brought a Cerritos tie, with the game at 4-4 and the bases loaded after a few more Raider errors. In this challenging situation, Moorpark gave up a bases-clearing double, resulting in a 7-4 Cerritos lead. Moorpark, now trailing, had to battle back if they were going to win this game.
Leadoff hitter and sophomore infielder Mia Gregory commented on the team’s offensive and defensive struggles.
“We definitely kept our energy high and supported each other after each error that was made,” Gregory said
In the fifth inning, the Raiders gave up another run on an error, bringing Cerritos’ lead to 8-4. Desperately looking anywhere for offense, sophomore third basemen Isabella Velasquez tried to spark the team for a late-game comeback with a solo home run and cut the lead to 8-5.
Unfortunately, this was all the Raiders would score, and Cerritos would go on to put the finishing touches on this victory. With a two-run home run in the following inning, which resulted in a 10-5 lead in the sixth inning, Moorpark would end up in the loss column, snapping their win streak.
A big part of the Raiders’ defeat was the commitment of four errors in this game, which ties their season high. These errors led to more opportunities for Cerritos, and they capitalized on them.
Manager Delaney Diaz spoke about what the team can do to avoid back-to-back losses.
“You just have to go back to the drawing board…more practice, more film more reps. I think it’s more of a mental game and mental toughness than anything,” Diaz said. “So working more in the classroom and instilling confidence in these girls that they can do it.”
This loss drops the Raiders to 4-2 on the season. However, they will look to improve and take what they can from this game as they prepare to take on Antelope Valley in a doubleheader on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Moorpark hopes to come away with both wins and avoid back-to-back losses.
For more information on the Moorpark College softball team, click here.
