After losing their opening matchup in the Coach Takk Classic, Fullerton looked to senior pitcher Ceci Lopez to help them get back on track. It worked out well, as San Dimas wasn’t able to get past Lopez and the Indian defense, as Fullerton won 6-1 over the Saints.
Fullerton (4-4) scored 6 runs on 9 hits and committed one error, while San Dimas (5-3) scored one run on four hits. The win improved Lopez’s record to 3-0 on the season, while San Dimas’ Ashley Newton was given the loss.
Fullerton was the designated away team for this game, and they wasted no time getting on the board. Alexia Silvas opened the game with a leadoff single to center. After stealing second base two pitches later, Silvas scored on a single by senior Alyssa Brundage. Newton had a rough start for San Dimas, as she loaded the bases after Brundage’s single.
Before getting on the mound, Ceci Lopez hit into a sacrifice play to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. After loading the bases once more, Newton walked Maren Summers to make it 3-0 Indians. Manager Don Pollard pulled Newton out after the walk, as she finished the day after giving up the 3 runs on 30 pitches, and she was replaced by freshman Alexis Sanchez. Sanchez was able to get the third out after a 20-minute top of the first.
Lopez gave up a leadoff walk to Brooke Jackson, but kept her composure after that, as the first inning ended on a run saving dive by Fullerton’s second baseman Mayra Encinas.
Both Lopez and Sanchez had dominant innings after the first, as no runs were giving up for the next 3 innings.
The top half on the fifth inning looked much like the first for the Indians, as a lead off triple by Mayra Encinas led to a RBI single by Amanda Fogelsong. On the following at bat, a two run RBI double by Alexia Silvas increased the Indian lead to 6-0.
After Lauryn Peale reached on base from an error, Sanchez hit a two out single to left to get San Dimas its first run of the game. Brooke Jackson hit a single to center on the following at bat to keep the Saint momentum going, but she was caught trying to advance to second to end the inning.
After a quiet top of the sixth inning, San Dimas had one last chance to make a comeback, since the game had reached its time limit (San Dimas had another game scheduled after). After a one out single by Clarissa Reynoso, Ceci Lopez retired the next two batters to end the game.
Lopez finished her complete game with not giving up an earned run on 71 pitches. Sanchez finished the game for San Dimas pitching 5.2 innings and throwing 106 pitches.
The Indians will be back in action on Thursday, as they will face El Rancho in their third game at the Coach Takk Classic at 2:30 p.m.