Hornets Softball splits a pair of games with Santiago Canyon

Nicole Freerks

May 1, 2021

The Fullerton Hornets softball team won one of two games in a doubleheader against Santiago Canyon Hawks Friday afternoon.

The Hornets shut out the Hawks in the first game 3-0 and lost a close one in the second game 4-3.

The Hornets came off a two-game sweep of Santiago Canyon earlier in the week where they won 3-2 and 8-4.

Fullerton College's Madison Pevehouse, hits a double to right-center, allowing Emily Muro and Miranda Rooney to score off of the RBI. Photo credit: Nicole Melanie Freerks

In the top of the first inning, Hornets starting pitcher Jessica Lopez kicked off the first game striking out three Santiago Canyon Hawks, two of them looking.

Lopez continued to dominate at the pitching circle with a 1,2,3 second inning.

In the third inning, Lopez struck out the first batter of the inning and walked the second. Then, a fielding error at first base advanced the runner to second.

The Hornets defense then shut down the inning as a pop-up gave them the second out and Lopez struck out another Hawk to end the inning.

Fullerton College student-athlete Madison Pevehouse covers first base in a doubleheader April 30. Photo credit: Nicole Melanie Freerks

After a quiet inning at the plate for the Hornets, the defense took care of business with another 1,2,3 inning in the top of the fourth.

The bats came alive for the Hornets in the bottom of the fourth when Madison Pevehouse hit a two-RBI double to right-center, scoring Emily Muro and Miranda Rooney.

Later in the inning, an SCC throwing error by the catcher allowed Pevehouse to score.

The fifth, sixth and seventh innings were quiet, giving the Hornets the victory in the first game due to their early scoring.

Hornet Dee Ramirez, with a .500 batting average, is a offensive and defensive powerhouse, shown hitting a ball during a doubleheader with Santiago Canyon College on April 30. Photo credit: Nicole Melanie Freerks

For the second game, Madison Pevehouse was the starting pitcher for the Hornets.

After a solid first inning, the Hornets gave up an unearned run in the second inning. Pevehouse gave up a home run to the Hawks in the top of the fourth, followed by two more runs later in the inning.

Jessica Lopez returned to pitch in relief in the bottom of the fourth and shut down the Hawks in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Offensively, the Hornets kept battling throughout the game, scoring one run in each of the first, third and fifth innings.

“It was kind of tough…it was a big pill to swallow…we just couldn’t make the plays that we needed to play and we couldn’t bring in the runners,” Hornet coach Jillian Saiza said regarding the loss to Santiago Canyon.

Fullerton College Coach and alumna, Jillian Saiza talks to an Umpire during one of the back to back games played Friday April 30. Photo credit: Nicole Melanie Freerks

Looking forward to future games, “we need to follow through on our at-bats, follow through on our defense and our pitching and I think we would have gotten [this game]… it’s a tough loss but it’s alright, we’ll come back and we’ll win next week,” Coach Saiza added.

Fullerton will return to the competition at Golden West College next Wednesday, May 5 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.