Softball: Long Beach ends season with SoCal playoff series loss at Palomar

The 2011 Long Beach City College softball season came to an end on Sunday following the Vikings' 2-1 Southern California Regional Playoff series loss at Palomar College.

No. 12 seed Long Beach opened the series with a 5-4 win on Friday, but couldn't close out the fifth-seeded Comets after dropping Game 2 by a final score of 5-4 and suffering an 11-2 defeat in the deciding third game.

On Friday, the Vikings rolled to the opening-game win thanks to a four-run fifth inning. With the game scoreless, an intentional walk to sophomore first baseman Michelle Contreras (Norwalk HS) loaded the bases.

Freshman designated player Cassie Garcia (Banning HS) followed with a bloop single between second baseman Marissa Valdez and right fielder Jen Mathis for a run. Sophomore catcher Brittney Holden's (Big Bear HS) vicious line drive went off Courtney Krauss' knee for a single and a run. And sophomore third baseman Melissa McDougall (Millikan HS) delivered a two-run double to give the Vikings a commanding 5-0 lead.

With the score 5-2, Palomar rallied for two more run in the bottom of the seventh. The Comets had the tying run at third base and the winning run at second when LBCC freshman reliever Angela Arias (Western HS) struck out Katie Wilford for the final out an the opening win.

LBCC needed just one win on Sunday to advance to the Super Regionals, but the Vikings couldn't hold off a late Game 2 rally and got outslugged early in Game 3.

In Game 2, Palomar appeared to be its way to the win after leading 4-0 late. But Garcia's three-run homerun in the top of the sixth sparked a four-run rally to tie the game.

Palomar once again rallied in the seventh inning. Kelli Star's sacrifice fly drove in pinch runner Amanda Carnero for the game-winning run.

And that late-game momentum carried over in to Game 3 for Palomar. Mathis smashed a three-run homerun in the first and Krauss followed with a solo homerun to give the Comets an early 4-0 lead that put away the Vikings.

Long Beach closed the season with a 24-17-1 overall record. The Vikings qualified for the playoffs for the 19th time over the past 21 years.