Coy Whiffs Ten, Hancock Edges Rival Santa Barbara, 5-4

Freshman Shaylyn Coy struck out a career-high 10 and staved off a seventh-inning rally to help the Allan Hancock College softball team earn a 5-4 road win at Santa Barbara City College in a Western State Conference battle on Thursday. The Bulldogs improved to 8-10 overall and 4-6 in conference action. The Vaqueros fell to 2-7 in league and 6-18 on the season.

SBCC pushed single runs across the plate in the first and third innings against Coy to build a 2-0 lead. The Bulldogs finally broke through in the fourth inning against Paige Powell. Adiana Pacheco scored the first run of the game for the Bulldogs when Natalya Fuggs reached on a fielder's choice. Siana Castillo followed with a RBI-grounder to plate Jayden Andrade to tie the game at 2-2. Crystal Gonzalez gave Hancock the lead for good with a RBI-single, taking second base on the play. Sabrina Ornelas made it a 4-2 game with a RBI-single to score Gonzales. After Ornelas stole second, she scored when Zaiden Bakke reached on an error by the SBCC first baseman. Hancock took advantage of two SBCC errors in the fourth to plate five runs on three hits.

Coy cruised the middle innings as Hancock carried a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. SBCC made it interesting by scoring twice and loading the bases with two outs. Coy coaxed Kayana Diaz to fly out to right for the final out of the game.

Both teams finished with seven hits in the game. Hancock capitalized on six SBCC errors.

Andrade led the Bulldogs with two hits, while five others recorded one hit apiece, including a double off the bat of Fuggs.

Coy earned the win by scattering seven hits over seven innings. She struck out 10 and walked two. The freshman allowed four runs, two of which were earned.

Hancock returns home to host a doubleheader with Monterey Peninsula, the No. 6 team in the state.