Hancock Softball's Postseason Run Ends with 9-8 Loss to No. 1 Cypress

A furious rally against the top-ranked team in the state fell just short as the Allan Hancock College softball team's season came to a close with a 9-8 loss at No. 1 Cypress in the first round of the CCCAA Southern Regional on Saturday. Cypress won the best-of-three-game series 2-0 to advance to the Super Regionals. The Bulldogs, who trailed 8-2 after five innings, outhit the Chargers 15 to 13 behind four hits from freshman third baseman Nakaila Fuggs and three from Larrissa Ostrander. The Bulldogs' season ended with a 28-15 overall record. Cypress improved to 42-0.

Ostrander went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI. Fuggs went 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs. Bailey Killough went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and 3 RBI. Shannon Peterson and Isabella Partida had two hits apiece.

Cypress took the early lead on a RBI single by Jenny Vazquez in the first inning against Killough. Hancock tied it up in the second on a sacrifice fly from Killough. The Chargers responded with their own run in the bottom half on a RBI hit from Sydney McCollum to take a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs answered in the top of the fourth on a run-scoring single by Ostrander to tie it at 2-2.

Cypress responded with a five-run fourth inning, adding another run in the fifth to build an 8-2 lead. Hancock battled back with five runs of its own in the sixth inning. Ostrander drove in a run with a groundball. Partida delivered a RBI-single, Myranda Morales drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in a run, and Killough hit a two-run single to pull Hancock to within 8-7. Cypress added one more in the bottom of the sixth that proved to be the difference.

Trailing 9-7 to start the seventh, Hancock rallied again as Ostrander drove in her third run with a two-out, RBI single to make it a one-run deficit. However, the sophomore shortstop was stranded at first when the final out of the game was made.

Killough took the loss after allowing nine hits and seven runs in 3 1/3 innings. The freshman walked one and struck out one. The Western State Conference Pitcher of the Year finished the season 17-8. Peterson allowed two runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings of relief.

The Hancock softball team made its third postseason appearance in the last four years under head coach Scia Maumausolo. The Bulldogs also won a share of their third conference title in the last four years.