Hancock Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From Oxnard; Killough Hits for Cycle, Drives in Ten and Earns Win in Game Two
Playing in the final regular season home games of their Bulldog careers, sophomores Bailey Killough, Andrea Ortega, Sierra Martinez, Nikole Cody, Nakaila Fuggs and Hannah Diaz each contributed to the Allan Hancock College softball team's doubleheader sweep over Oxnard on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won the opener 8-2 and took the second game 25-2 in five innings. No sophomore produced more than Killough, who struck out nine and hit for the cycle with two home runs and 10 RBI in game two. The Bulldogs finished the regular season 11-3 in Western State Conference play, third in the standings, and 21-13-1 overall. They reached the 20-win mark for the fifth time in the last six years under Head Coach Scia Maumausolo.
During game two, Hancock sent 16 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scored 11 runs. The first nine batters reached base safely. Killough started the scoring with a two-run double. Zaiden Bakke singled home Mallory Townsend to give Hancock a 3-0 lead. Alyssa Gonzalez singled in Killough, while Mackenzie Baird stroked a two-run single to make it 6-0 Bulldogs. Crystal Gonzalez made the first out of the inning in her second at-bat, but drove in a run on a groundball to make it 7-0. A sacrifice fly by Townsend, RBI-triple by Killough and run-scoring single from Bakke called the 11-run outburst that included nine hits.
In the second inning, Sabrina Ornelas singled in a run, then two batters later, Killough slugged a three-run home run to push Hancock's lead to 15-0. Oxnard scored twice in the third against Killough, but Hancock got the runs back on RBI-doubles by Nakaila Fuggs and Crystal Gonzalez made it a 17-2 game.
The Bulldogs added eight more in the fourth. Nikole Cody was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. Run-scoring singles from Baird and Crystal Gonzalez, and a grounder from Fuggs accounted for three more runs on the board to push the lead to 21-2. Killough ended the scoring by sending a pitch over the wall for a grand slam for her second long ball of the game.
Killough, the 2017 Western State Conference Pitcher of the Year, went 5-for-5 with a double, triple, three-run home run, grand slam, single and 10 RBI. The Arroyo Grande High School graduate scored five times and threw a complete game in the circle in game two. She struck out nine and allowed only four hits and two runs.
The Bulldogs finished with 22 hits in the game. Baird went 4-for-4 with four runs and 3RBI. Bakke had three hits and drove in two. Crystal Gonzalez finished with two hits and 3 RBI, while Ornelas and Townsend each went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Fuggs accounted for two hits and 2 RBI.
In the opener, Oxnard scored twice in the top of the first to take an early 2-0 lead against Diaz. Hancock got one back when Fuggs reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Bakke to score to cut the deficit to one. The Bulldogs took the lead for good in the fourth when Cody hit a RBI-single and Fuggs drove in her second run on a fielder's choice that put the Bulldogs ahead 3-2.
The Bulldogs put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth inning. Crystal Gonzalez grounded out to drive in a run, Ornelas and Townsend delivered back-to-back RBI-doubles, and Killough lined a run-scoring single to give the Bulldogs an 8-2 advantage.
Diaz earned the win with a complete game. The Pioneer Valley High School graduate allowed seven hits and two runs in seven innings. She walked one and struck out eight Condors.
The Bulldogs finished with 11 hits in the opener. Cody, Killough, Bakke and Townsend had two hits apiece. Fuggs drove in two runs.
On the day, the Bulldogs accumulated 33 hits and 33 runs. Killough had seven hits, scored seven times and finished with 11 RBI. Fuggs went 3-for-7 with 4 RBI; Cody had two hits, 2 RBI and scored three times; while Martinez and Ortega each had one hit. Townsend and Baird each had four hits and scored four times. Bakke finished with five hits on the day, while Ornelas contributed two hits, 2 RBI and scored four times in the two games combined.
Hancock will learn its postseason fate on Saturday when the CCCAA releases the seedings and regional brackets. The Bulldogs received the No. 18 seed last season and won their play-in game before falling to undefeated and eventual state champion Cypress in regionals.