Arabs bounce back for win
IVC comes from behind to beat San Diego Mesa College
IMPERIAL — The Imperial Valley College softball team worked to overcome a 4-0 deficit in only the first inning of the game to defeat San Diego Mesa 7-5 here on Wednesday afternoon.
The visiting Olympians jumped on IVC early capitalizing on an error, two hit batters and a triple to quickly get the game moving.
Despite the shaky start, the Arabs bounced right back in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own to tie the game.
Lead-off hitter Melannie Ibarra got things going for IVC opening with a triple and scoring on a Claudia Gasca single.
Gasca moved over to second on a sac bunt from Victoria Martinez and eventually came around to score on a Maritza Rojas single.
Sinclaire Mays kept the offense moving after reaching on an error and was brought in along with Rojas on a Rebeka Jimenez double.
“We did switch up the lineup (on Wednesday),” noted IVC head coach Jill Lerno. “It worked out well.”
Rojas, the Arabs’ starting hurler, and the IVC defense settled down in the second inning, recording three quick outs and extended their lead over the next innings and by the bottom of fourth, led 7-4.
In the top of the seventh the Olympians mounted a slight rally that resulted in one run coming across, yet the Arabs were able to close the door for the 7-5 win.
Overall Lerno said she was glad the team worked to come back and urged the players to stay disciplined at the plate for the entire game.
“Toward the end we did lose focus a little bit,” she said.
IVC improves to 16-7 overall and 7-5 in Pacific Coast Athletic Conference action, with four games left in the season.
“If we’re able to win the rest of our games, we have a real, fighting chance to make the playoffs,” Lerno said.
Overall the Arabs finished with 11 hits and six earned runs, while Rojas tallied five strikeouts, with one walk and scattering eight hits.