Hancock Softball Tops Cuesta 5-3 Behind Killough, Fuggs and Diaz

Sophomores Bailey Killough and Nakaila Fuggs had two hits and 2 RBI apiece to support pitcher Hannah Diaz in the Allan Hancock College softball team's 5-3 win at home against rival Cuesta College Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs snapped a three-game slide to improve to 8-2 in Western State Conference play and 17-11-1 overall. Hancock swept the season series from the Cougars 2-0. The Cougars fell to 6-5 in league and 11-17 on the year.

The Bulldogs went right to work in the first when Fuggs hit a one-out double and moved to third on a ball of the bat of Mallory Townsend misplayed by the Cougars for an error. Killough delivered a fly ball to center allowing Fuggs to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly with the game's first run. Townsend advanced to third on the plate and later scored on a RBI-single by Zaiden Bakke to cap a two-run first.

Hancock added to its lead in the second when Fuggs ripped a two-run double to drive in Sabrina Ornelas, who had tripled, and Crystal Gonzalez, who was hit by a pitch. Killough drove in Fuggs two batters later with a double to give Hancock a 5-0 lead.

Cuesta inched closer with two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth against Diaz. However, Diaz blanked the Cougars the rest of the way to earn the win with a complete game. The sophomore scattered seven hits, three runs, two of them earned, and struck out two for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs outhit the Cougars nine to seven. Fuggs, Killough and Bakke had two hits each. Both of Fuggs' hits were doubles. Ornelas, Nikole Cody and Gonzalez added one hit apiece.

The Bulldogs hit the road Thursday to play at first-place Bakersfield. The Renegades are 10-1 in league and 28-6 overall. Bakersfield is ranked No. 3 in California and No. 2 in Southern California this week. Hancock earned a 1-0 walk-off win over the Renegades last month in Santa Maria.