Despite Three Home Runs, Hancock Softball Falls 8-6 to Pasadena

Despite two home runs from Bailey Killough and a third from freshman Mallory Townsend, a late rally by the Allan Hancock College softball team fell short in an 8-6 non-conference loss to Pasadena City College Friday. The Bulldogs fell to 12-5-1 overall, while Pasadena moved to 9-9 overall.

The Lancers struck first against Hancock pitcher Hannah Diaz with two runs in the second, one in the third and two more in the fourth. Trailing 5-0 in the fourth, the Bulldogs bats came to life as Mackenzie Baird and Gennae Abatti delivered RBI-singles to pull Hancock to within 5-2. The Lancers responded in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs to take a 7-2 lead.

The Bulldogs muscled up in the fifth as Townsend slugged a two-out, two-run home run, her first collegiate home run to pull to within 7-4. Killough stepped up and made it back-to-back home runs with a solo-blast to make it a 7-5 game.

Pasadena added an insurance run in the seventh against Killough to take an 8-5 lead into the last of the seventh. Killough led off the seventh with a shot over the wall for her second home run of the game and team-leading fourth of the season. Hancock could not inch any closer and dropped the non-conference game by two runs.

Townsend, Killough, Zaiden Bakke and Abatti had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.

Diaz took the loss after allowing seven earned runs and 10 hits over five innings. The sophomore walked three and struck out three. Killough threw two innings of relief, allowing two hits, one run, one walk and one strikeout.

Hancock returns to conference play on Tuesday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m. when first-place Bakersfield visits Santa Maria.