The stars led the way for the Santa Rosa Junior College softball team in a commanding win over Diablo Valley College on Tuesday at Marv Mayes field.
The Bear Cubs headed into Tuesday’s matchup with a 9-7 record, having lost five of their previous seven and looking to shift their momentum against the struggling 2-15 Vikings.
“We don’t take anybody lightly,” said head coach Madison Green.
Ace Jordan Baughn was the starting pitcher for the Bear Cubs. She struck out the side in the top of the first, setting the tone for the rest of her outing.
She would strike out six total in five shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk. Baughn picked up her fifth win of the season and lowered her season ERA to an impressive 2.58 in 59 ⅔ innings.
Star slugger and catcher Haley Wyatt opened up the scoring early by launching a towering two-run homer to give the Bear Cubs a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The home run was Wyatt’s seventh of the year. On the year she’s batting a whopping .460 while leading the Big 8 conference in home runs and RBIs, of which she has 24.
After a quiet second and third inning, the Bear Cubs added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a double steal that scored second baseman Esperanza Marquez.
Another run scored in the inning on an RBI triple from shortstop Mallory O’Keefe. After four innings, the Bear Cubs led 4-0.
SRJC increased the lead to 5-0 the following inning on a sacrifice fly from third baseman Sophia Uricoechea.
Jessica Hernandez took over for Baughn in the top of the sixth. In 20 and ⅓ innings, Hernandez has a microscopic 1.38 ERA on the season.
Hernandez allowed the first Diablo Valley run on a sac fly by second baseman Ori Rinne to cut the Bear Cubs lead to 5-1.
The Bear Cubs answered in the bottom of the sixth when left fielder Hailey Martin drew a bases-loaded walk to increase the lead to 6-1.
Diablo Valley made things interesting in the top of the seventh when Lenaya Walton drove an RBI single up the middle to make it 6-2.
Hernandez locked in for the final two outs, getting back to back pop ups to seal the 6-2 win for SRJC.
“We played well,” said Green. “We did what we needed to win and got all 15 [players] in the game.”
The Bear Cubs will play a doubleheader against Sacramento City College on Thursday and look to secure their first pair back-to-back wins since Feb 22.
