Eagle Softball Splits a Pair to Open IEAC Play

The MSJC softball team finally got back to action on Friday after a solid week of rain outs and split a doubleheader in Palm Desert to open Inland Empire Athletic Conference play.

In the opener against College of the Desert the Eagles got a complete game shut out from starting pitcher Amanda Gromko as they claimed a 2-0 victory.  Gromko threw 7 innings allowing just 7 hits and a pair of walks while striking out five to pick up the win.  MSJC manufactured a pair of runs in the top of the third, the first coming on a double steal as Ana Gastelum came across the plate as Alexis Aldridge was stealing second.  Veronica Prado followed that with an RBI single scoring Aldridge and that would be all the scoring the Eagles needed.  Hailey Matthews did have three hits in the game, while Aldridge and Chelsi Washburn both had two hits each.

Game two of the day was also a pitcher's duel, but this time the Eagles came up just short as they lost 2-1 to the Roadrunners.  Matthews had two more hits and Prado once again had an RBI.  Prado's ground out in the top of the 4th drove in Matthews as the Eagles took a brief 1-0 lead, but a pair of runs by Desert in the bottom half of the fourth was the difference.  Gastelum pitched well in the loss for MSJC as she went the distance, throwing 6 innings and allowing 9 hits and two unearned runs.

The Eagles are now 6-10 overall on the season and 1-1 in IEAC play.  The team is scheduled to be back on the field Wednesday to host Chaffey at 2 pm on the Menifee Campus.