Knights' Rallies Fall Short in Season Opening Doubleheader

San Diego City's softball team took the home field for the first time in 2023 on Saturday in a doubleheader against Chaffey and battled hard, but dropped the first game, 7-5, and the second, 5-2.

Second baseman Anahy Carbajal went 3-for-7 on the day with one RBI and two runs. Centerfielder Ariana Hencke went 2-for-6 with two RBI.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Knights grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first inning after an RBI-single by Sarah Cashman, a bases-loaded walk by Kaylani Cook, and on a Chaffey fielding error. 

Chaffey, however, scored a run in the third inning, four runs in the fourth, and one more run in the sixth to regain a 7-3 lead. 

The Knights fought back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning coming on RBI-singles by Carbajal and Hencke with only one out, but that's all the Knights were able to get as their rally fell short.

In the second game, Hencke got the Knights on the board first with a sacrifice fly to center field. Chaffey tied it at 1-1 in the second inning, but the Knights regained the lead in the bottom of the second on another sacrifice fly, this time by Ashley Aguilar.

The score remained the same until the top of the seventh when Chaffey produced three runs off a triple and two singles to take a 5-2 lead. The Knights got two runners on with two out in the final half inning, but weren't able to start a comeback. 

The Knights will now travel to play a doubleheader at Cerro Coso on Wednesday, Feb. 1 beginning at noon.