Gonzalez Drives in Five, Hancock Softball Routs Moorpark 11-1

Freshman center fielder Crystal Gonzalez collected three hits and drove in five runs to lead the Allan Hancock College softball team to an 11-1 win in five innings over Moorpark in a Western State Conference game on Tuesday afternoon in Santa Maria. The Bulldogs moved to 9-3 in Western State Conference play and 18-13-1 overall. Hancock remained one game back of second-place Ventura in the conference standings and two games behind first-place Bakersfield. The Raiders fell to 2-8 in league and 17-17 overall.

The Bulldogs started the scoring in the second inning when Mackenzie Baird singled home Alyssa Gonzalez, who had singled earlier in the inning. After Nakaila Fuggs walked and Crystal Gonzalez singled to load the bases, freshman Sabrina Ornelas delivered a RBI-single to drive in Baird to give Hancock a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs rallied again in the third when Fuggs was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Zaiden Bakke with the Bulldogs' third run of the game. Crystal Gonzalez followed with a bases-clearing double to plate Alyssa Gonzalez, Baird and Fuggs to cap a four-run inning and push Hancock's lead to 6-0.

Mallory Townsend led off the fourth inning with a triple and scored on a one-out single from Bakke to make it 7-0 Hancock. Andrea Ortega later hit a RBI-single, Fuggs doubled in another run, and Crystal Gonzalez came through with a two-run single to complete a five-run frame.

The Raiders scored once in the top of the fifth to complete the scoring and end the game by virtue of the eight-run rule.

Bailey Killough earned the win with a complete game. The sophomore allowed four hits and one run over five innings. Killough struck out five and issued three walks om the circle.

The Bulldogs outhit the Raiders 12 to four. Gonzalez recorded her third game with three or more hits by going 3-for-3 at the plate with 5 RBI. Ornelas and Bakke each finished with two hits. Catcher Alyssa Gonzalez went 1-for-1 with two walks and scored three times. Eight Bulldogs collected at least one hit and six drove in at least one run. Fuggs went 1-for-1 with one walk, 2 RBI and scored twice.

Hancock returns to action at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 20, in a non-conference game at L.A. Valley. The Bulldogs will finish the season next Tuesday, April 24, at home with a doubleheader against Oxnard set to begin at 1 p.m.