Monarchs fall to Owls in home opener

Scoreless through five innings, cashing in three runs to tie the game late, the late-game pitching could not hold the Owls down.

By Nicholas Orozco, Sports Editor

Sophomore Pitcher Isabel Ward hurls a pitch towards catcher Clarissa Robles on Tuesday Feb. 14.. The Monarchs lost this match up, pushing their record to 1-10. (Nicholas Orozco | Valley Star)

Although Valley College lost its conference opener and dropped its record to 1-10, it gave the visiting Citrus Owls a little bit of a scare.

The Monarchs (1-10) were nursing a 1-0 until the sixth when Citrus (5-2) hit a base-clearing double and followed it up with a single making the score 4-1. Valley responded in the bottom of the frame when Briana Gaskill ripped a base-clearing triple, scoring freshman Selena Gonzalez, Aleenah Castanon, and Azcuena Villalta. Her hit tied the game at four.

“I was thinking on going oppo [opposite], to score runs,” said Gaskill. “I’ve been struggling, I was thinking on the ground, on the ground line drives.”

Citrus responded in the top of the seventh when Patty Rodriguez and Jasani Zavalza, ripped back-to-back doubles giving the visitors a 5-4 lead. The Monarchs failed to score in the final inning after popping up and grounding out into fielders' choices.

“Pick each other up and go through it, I told them no goose eggs,” coach Andrea Contreras said was proud of her team as they tied the game. “Just keep going, keep the momentum going.”

Monarch sophomore pitcher Isabel Ward threw into the sixth inning and getting two outs, she allowed three runs to come across the board for Citrus.

The Monarchs decided to make a change and brought in Gaskill from short.

“She’s great. She's versatile. She goes wherever I need her,” Contreras said after the game.

Through the five innings, the Monarchs scored a run in the bottom of the third. With a line drive toward the baseman off the bat of Gaskill, the ball deflected toward short, which led to a throwing error that allowed Gaskill to advance to second base. Stepping up to the plate was sophomore Violeta Espinoza, who hit a double off the right field fence that nearly cleared the fence, allowing Gaskill to score from third.

Valley will next host San Diego City College on Saturday for a double header, games starting at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm.