Chenault Strikes Out 22 in 12-Inning Marathon, Hancock Splits Doubleheader at SBCC to Remain in First Place

Katie Chenault struck out 22 in a 12-inning marathon as the Allan Hancock College softball team split a Western State Conference doubleheader at Santa Barbara City College on Tuesday. The Bulldogs won the opener 2-1 in 12-innings before falling 1-0 in the nightcap. 

Hancock is now 11-3 in WSC action and 22-13 overall with four conference games remaining. SBCC is 8-4 in conference and 17-15 for the season. The Bulldogs remained in a tie for first place with Cuesta after the Cougars split a doubleheader at home against Moorpark.

The Bulldogs broke open a scoreless opening game in the top of the twelfth when Megan Love started the inning on second base by virtue of the extra-inning rule. Love advanced to third base when Kristine Ramos reached on a sacrifice bunt. Jessica Rothanzl lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Love from third base and move Ramos over to third. Missy Regalado followed with a single to right field to score Ramos and give Hancock a 2-0 lead.

The Vaqueros managed one run in the bottom half as Alice Cen scored on a sacrifice fly after she started the inning at second. Chenault struck out Amanda Caras for the final out of the game. The freshman allowed just three hits and two walks over 12 innings. She fanned 22, including Danielle de Castro four times and four other Vaqueros three times apiece.

Tawny Nunes and Gianna Abatti led the Bulldogs with two hits apiece in the opener.

Santa Barbara's Celesta Acosta took the tough loss in the opener when she scattered six hits and struck out 13 over 12 innings. But the Vaquero pitcher outdueled Chenault in the second game.

The second game was scoreless until Christal Vie took Chenault deep to left for a solo-home run with one out in what produced the only run of the game. Nunes singled with one out in the seventh, but Paige Cosand and Tiana McWhorter could not bring her around.

Hancock managed four hits in the second game as Rothanzl, Regalado, McWhorter and Nunes each had one single. 

Chenault fanned six and scattered six hits in six innings and took the loss in the second game. The freshman finished with 28 strikeouts and allowed just nine hits, one earned run and four walks in 18 innings. The freshman upped her program record for most strikeouts in a single season to a state-best 318 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs return to action on Thursday at last place L.A. Pierce for their final regular season road game. The Bulldogs swept a doubleheader 30-0 and 28-0 from the Brahmas last month in Santa Maria.