Long Balls Fuel Comeback, Hancock Softball Beats Bakersfield 9-7

Powered by two-run home runs from both Maggie Dasis and Emily Gantt in the sixth inning, the Allan Hancock College softball team scored a thrilling 9-7 come-from-behind win over Bakersfield on Thursday afternoon in Santa Maria. The victory, Hancock's third in a row, improved the Bulldogs' record to 9-4-1 overall. Bakersfield dropped to 4-8-1.

Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth, the Bulldogs turned to the long ball to rally. With Larrissa Ostrander on base, Dasis delivered a two-run shot, her first home run of the year to tie it 7-7. After Judith Salazar reached, Gantt crushed her team-leading fourth home run of the season to give Hancock the lead for good.

Shannon Peterson earned the win. The freshman improved to 7-2 after she allowed 12 hits, five earned runs and struck out three.

After Bakersfield scored one in the top of the first, Hancock answered with a RBI-single by Salazar for her team-leading 17^th RBI. The sophomore center fielder later scored when Monique Hoobery reached on an error, one of four committed on the day by the Renegades.

Bakersfield retook the lead 3-2 with two in the second when the Bulldogs responded with three more in the third to take a 5-3 lead. Ostrander drove in a run with a single, another scored on an error and the third on a fielder's choice.

The Renegades continued the back-and-forth battle with four runs in the fourth against Peterson, two were unearned due to a Hancock error.

Hancock and Bakersfield finished with 12 hits apiece. Ostrander led the Bulldogs with three hits and two runs scored. Salazar and third baseman Ashley Ruiz had two hits apiece.

The Bulldogs return to action next Thursday, March 3 at College of the Canyons. Firsat pitch will be at 2 p.m.