Softball season comes to an end
Viking earns state Co-MVP honor after stellar season with .564 avg.
Michael Simmons
Issue date: 5/14/09 Section: Sports
After a season with high team expectations heading into state championship contention, the LBCC women's softball team ended its season after losing two games of a three-game set to L.A. Mission in the Southern California Regional Series on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
With the loss, the Vikings dropped its record to 32-14.
Standout pitcher Christine Gonzalez, despite pitching seven strikeouts in game three, allowed four runs and eight hits. She closed the year with a 25-11 record.
The Vikings' final loss of the season came in the deciding game three of the series, losing 4-2. Earlier in the series, the sixth-seeded Vikings lost the first game of the series to the eleventh-seeded Eagles by a score of 3-2 in eight innings, but LBCC picked up a 6-0 win in the second contest to force a game three.
The Eagles jumped to a hot start with an RBI from first baseman Evie Lugo to drive in a run in the third inning. The Vikings came back in the bottom of the fourth when an errant throw to home plate allowed pinch runner Caitlin Lopez and Rose Vargas to score to take an early 2-1 lead.
The Eagles came back in the fifth inning, scoring three runs to take a 4-2 lead, which the Vikings would not be able to overcome.
Shortstop Rose Vargas went 2-3 at the plate in the game for one run and one RBI, while third baseman Valentina Nabayan also went 2-3.
L.A. Mission, with the two tournament wins, improves its record to 31-10 on the year.
Even though the season ended earlier than the members of the team expected, several individual honors were handed out as seven Vikings received all-conference honors.
The Vikings finished conference play with an 11-7 record, good enough for third place in the SCC behind Cerritos and Mt. Sac.
Softball left-fielder Vanessa Samudio was named 2009 South Coast Conference player of the year and the state's co-most valuable player.
Samudio led the conference in batting with a .564 batting average, three home runs and 16 RBIs on 52 hits.
Gonzalez, Nabayan and second baseman Jean Gallegos were named to the SCC first team.
Gonzalez racked up a 9-6 record in conference play, pitched three shutouts and struck out 66 batters in 16 appearances. At the plate, she had a .317 batting average, 10 RBIs, and a single home run.
Nabayan batted .375, had one home run, seven doubles and 13 RBIs, while, Gallegos scored six runs and had three steals in 18 conference games.
Catcher Alyssa Belmontes, center fielder Karina Martinez and Vargas were named to the all-conference second team.
Vargas averaged .326 at-bat, had two homers and seven RBIs in conference play, Belmontes claimed no errors in 76 chances and Martinez batted .347 on the year.
With the loss, the Vikings dropped its record to 32-14.
Standout pitcher Christine Gonzalez, despite pitching seven strikeouts in game three, allowed four runs and eight hits. She closed the year with a 25-11 record.
The Vikings' final loss of the season came in the deciding game three of the series, losing 4-2. Earlier in the series, the sixth-seeded Vikings lost the first game of the series to the eleventh-seeded Eagles by a score of 3-2 in eight innings, but LBCC picked up a 6-0 win in the second contest to force a game three.
The Eagles jumped to a hot start with an RBI from first baseman Evie Lugo to drive in a run in the third inning. The Vikings came back in the bottom of the fourth when an errant throw to home plate allowed pinch runner Caitlin Lopez and Rose Vargas to score to take an early 2-1 lead.
The Eagles came back in the fifth inning, scoring three runs to take a 4-2 lead, which the Vikings would not be able to overcome.
Shortstop Rose Vargas went 2-3 at the plate in the game for one run and one RBI, while third baseman Valentina Nabayan also went 2-3.
L.A. Mission, with the two tournament wins, improves its record to 31-10 on the year.
Even though the season ended earlier than the members of the team expected, several individual honors were handed out as seven Vikings received all-conference honors.
The Vikings finished conference play with an 11-7 record, good enough for third place in the SCC behind Cerritos and Mt. Sac.
Softball left-fielder Vanessa Samudio was named 2009 South Coast Conference player of the year and the state's co-most valuable player.
Samudio led the conference in batting with a .564 batting average, three home runs and 16 RBIs on 52 hits.
Gonzalez, Nabayan and second baseman Jean Gallegos were named to the SCC first team.
Gonzalez racked up a 9-6 record in conference play, pitched three shutouts and struck out 66 batters in 16 appearances. At the plate, she had a .317 batting average, 10 RBIs, and a single home run.
Nabayan batted .375, had one home run, seven doubles and 13 RBIs, while, Gallegos scored six runs and had three steals in 18 conference games.
Catcher Alyssa Belmontes, center fielder Karina Martinez and Vargas were named to the all-conference second team.
Vargas averaged .326 at-bat, had two homers and seven RBIs in conference play, Belmontes claimed no errors in 76 chances and Martinez batted .347 on the year.
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