PANTHERS LEAVE SAN DIEGO WITH TWO WINS

The Chaffey Panthers traveled to San Diego City to take on the Knights in a doubleheader on Saturday.  

Chaffey quickly jumped on the board in the first inning of game 1 when Katie Avellaneda (Rancho Cucamonga) singled to leadoff the game and, after a sacrifice bunt by Coie Carter (Roosevelt), was driven in on a double by Marisa Marquez (Upland).

The Knights answered quickly with three of their own in the bottom of the first to take the lead. The Panthers weathered the storm, though, and pulled within a run on another double by Marquez in the third.

Then in the fourth inning, Chaffey exploded for four runs, the big hit being a 2-RBI single by Cora Garcia (Patriot), giving the Panthers a 6-3 lead. Chaffey tacked on another in the sixth on a Marquez solo home run, her third extra-base hit of the game. 

Garcia tossed two innings of relief, giving up one earned run, before Lexy Naranjo (Norco) came in to get the final three outs for her second save in two days in Chaffey's 7-5 victory.

In game 2, both teams played a tighter affair, with the Knights holding a 2-1 lead until the top of the 7th-inning. That's when the Panthers chose to strike, scoring four runs on four hits. Carter had a 2-RBI triple while Madison Randall (Los Osos), and Alyah Rueff (Baldwin Park) added RBI singles.

Naranjo threw another complete game, striking out 7 and allowing just one earned run for the 5-2 win.

Carter, Rueff and Randall each had 2 hits while Carter and Randall both knocked in a pair.

Chaffey came from behind in 3 of the 4 games over the weekend, banging out 43 hits along with 15 for extra bases. The Panthers start the young season with a 4-0 record.

Submitted by Head Coach Jerry Tivey