Softball: Long Beach advances with 8-5 SoCal Playoff win over Bakersfield

Sophomore Mariah Jacobo (La Serna HS) went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and a pair of doubles while sophomore Brooke Loard (Millikan HS) struck out 11 batters in a complete-game effort to lead Long Beach City College to an 8-5 win over visiting Bakersfield College on Tuesday in a play-in round game of the 2016 Southern California Regional Playoffs.

Long Beach, seeded No. 16 for the playoffs, advances to a best-of-three first-round regional series at No. 1 Cypress College. Game 1 is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday (May 7) with Game 2 to be played Sunday at 12 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, would follow at 2 p.m.

With the score tied 4-4, Long Beach rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull out the win. The Vikings took advantage of a one-out Bakersfield error that allowed sophomores Brianna Alvarez (Montebello HS) and Sarah Maldonado (Port of Los Angeles HS) to score the go-ahead runs. Jacobo followed with a line drive off the fence in left-center field to bring home sophomore Doreen Corella (San Pedro HS) and freshman Yulissa Dominguez (Santa Fe HS) to cap LBCC's scoring.

Bakersfield scored a run in the top of the seventh and loaded up the bases and had the winning run at the plate with two outs. But Loard got Cassandra Sanchez to line out and end the game.

Loard evened her record at 13-13 overall with today's victory. She allowed three earned runs and eight hits over seven innings. Freshman Daisy Velasquez (Bellflower HS) also had a perfect day at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a double and RBI.

No. 17 seed Bakersfield had its season end with an 18-22-1 overall record. Marina Felipe (10-11) took the loss, allowing all eight runs (four earned) and 12 hits over 5 1/3 innings. Madalyn Arambula (2 for 3) and Isabelle Martinez (2 for 4) both drove in two runs each for the Renegades.

Long Beach (23-18) has already faced Cypress (35-5) twice this season in non-conference games. LBCC suffered an 11-3 defeat at Cypress on Feb. 12 and fell 9-0 to the Chargers at the Ventura Tournament on April 2. 

The Vikings earned their first postseason win since 2011. Long Beach is led by new head coach Megan Martinez.