Vikings Sweep Chaffey to Advance in 3C2A SoCal Regionals
LBCC softball protected home field and advanced in the postseason, defeating Chaffey College in two games to win its best-of-three 3C2A Southern Regional series.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
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1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
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1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | X | 8 | 7 | 1 |
Game 1
Long Beach opened the series with a strong offensive performance, scoring in each of the first four innings to defeat Chaffey 6-4 Friday afternoon at home.
The Vikings struck first in the opening inning when Lela Asi delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home Zara Mineo, then added another run in the second on an RBI single from Michelle Cervantes to take a 2-0 lead.
Chaffey responded in the third with a two-run home run to even the score, but Long Beach answered immediately. In the bottom half of the inning, Cervantes broke the game open with a three-run home run, scoring Madison Fao and Asi to give the Vikings a 5-2 advantage.
Long Beach added another run in the fourth, capitalizing on a bases-loaded situation to extend the lead to 6-2. Chaffey made one final push in the sixth, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to 6-4, but the Vikings held firm to secure the win.
At the plate, Zara Mineo led the way with three hits and two runs scored, while Cervantes drove in four runs on two hits, including the go-ahead home run. Asi added two RBIs, and Mikaela Pacheco, Fao, and Alesa Gonzalez each contributed a hit.
In the circle, Ella Haugo went the distance, allowing four runs on seven hits while securing the complete-game victory.
Game 2
Long Beach clinched the series on Saturday, overcoming an early four-run deficit to defeat Chaffey 8-5 and complete the sweep.
Chaffey jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but the Vikings quickly responded. Long Beach got on the board in the bottom of the first, then put together a three-run second inning to tie the game at 4-4 behind RBIs from Ali Calderon, Natania Leomiti, and a sacrifice from Alesa Gonzalez.
The Vikings took control in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to go ahead 7-4. Long Beach capitalized on defensive miscues, with Gonzalez driving in three runs in the inning to break the game open.
Chaffey added a run in the fifth, but the Vikings answered in the sixth when Zara Mineo launched a solo home run to extend the lead to 8-5 and provide the final margin.
At the plate, Michelle Cervantes led the way with two hits, while Calderon added a hit, an RBI, and scored twice. Mineo finished with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored, and Gonzalez drove in a team-high four runs.
In the circle, Adalise Valenzuela delivered a strong performance in relief, tossing seven innings and allowing just one run while settling the game after the early deficit.
"We gave them a four-run lead with no outs—that's not how we want to start the game. I'm just really proud of our team for being resilient. We talk about it all year—teams are going to hit us, they're going to score on us, but it doesn't matter to us. We're going to answer back. I'm really glad we stuck to our plan and didn't panic. We got the job done. Back to work on Monday." — Megan Martinez, Director of Softball Operations
With the series win, the Vikings advance to the 3C2A SoCal Super Regional, where they will travel to face Mt. San Jacinto on May 9 at 2:00 p.m.