Arab bats connect for win
IMPERIAL — The Imperial Valley College softball team held on to its No. 2 spot in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference standings for another week after defeating College of the Desert on Wednesday afternoon here.
The Arabs are second only to the undefeated Palomar Comets and the two are set to meet again on April 20.
As they did on Tuesday afternoon against Grossmont, the Arabs came out swinging against College of the Desert scoring multiple runs in each of the first three innings to post an 11-0 victory over the Roadrunners.
IVC put up eight runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third to extend their win streak to three games.
Sophomore hurler Sinclaire Mays picked up the win on the sunny afternoon throwing a two-hit, five-inning performance.
Mays also picked up six strikeouts along the way and helped herself in the batter’s box going 2-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Leading IVC in the 14-hit slugfest was Gabby Ramirez. The starting catcher went 3-3 with two triples and four RBIs and drove in the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning.
Ramirez drove in Priscilla Silva and Andrea Quiroz in that inning, who opened the game with a leadoff double and a walk.
Both Silva and Quiroz had solid performances at the plate as well, with Silva going 2-2 with three runs scored and Quiroz going 1-2 with a triple and one RBI.
The game also marked the return of sophomore Melannie Ibarra, who had been out for a few games following a knee injury against San Diego Mesa on March 14.
Ibarra is slowly returning to the lineup, taking on the designated hitter role in the team’s two games this week.
Against COD, Ibarra went 2-3 with two doubles and two RBIs and currently has the second highest batting average in the conference.
Hazmin Guardado also went 2-3 against COD and also picked up one double and one RBI along the way.
Rounding out IVC’s slugfest were Skyler Tyson and Giselle Padilla, who each had a hit and one RBI, with Tyson picking up a triple.
The Arabs move to 22-6 overall and 9-2 in PCAC action and return to the diamond on Tuesday at 3 p.m. traveling to face San Bernardino Valley.