Pasadena City College head softball coach Monica Tantlinger knew what her team was facing with a brand new roster, but it wasn't going to prevent her from scheduling tougher teams in the early 2022 season. Perennial SoCal power, Palomar College, winners of five state titles (two as recent as 2013 and 2015) debuted its 2022 squad at the Lancers home-opening doubleheader at Robinson Park on Saturday. The Comets showed their pedigree in sweeping the twinbill.
Palomar downed PCC, 9-1, and then 15-5, in two games that went the full seven innings, a silver lining for the youthful Lancers, carrying 16 freshmen this season. The games were the first to be played in front of the home fans at Robinson Park (Robinson Park, 1080 N. Fair Oaks Blvd., City of Pasadena) since March 3, 2020.
"If we want to get better and have any shot at competing for a SoCal Playoff spot, we have to schedule harder teams in non-conference play to keep our RPI higher," Tantlinger said. "So it may not be pretty but it means facing teams like Palomar and Cypress (nine state championships to its credit). That and we have to prepare for a tough South Coast Conference schedule."
The SCC includes Mt. San Antonio College, 2-time defending state champions in 2018 and 2019 and winners of six titles overall, El Camino, a high-quality program over the past several seasons, Long Beach CC (two state titles), and Cerritos (two state titles). PCC is no slouch, having made the postseason each of the past three seasons played (2017-2019). But having the 2020 season cut short and the 2021 year cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a setback in the program's progress toward greater success.
"We hit really well in that second game v. Palomar, but we need work on our overall outfield defense," Tantlinger said. "Everything else is having all these freshmen adjust to college ball and learning this level, which is a day-at-a-time process."
In the first game, Palomar pitcher India Caldwell had her bid for a no-hitter broken up to lead off the bottom of the seventh on a clean single up the middle hit by first baseman Marcella Ordonez (see photo). Jaimie Harris followed with a double to left and Iliana Cardenas delivered a RBI single to get PCC its lone run. Caldwell finished with a 3-hitter and struck out nine Lancers.
In game 2, down 4-1, the Lancers (0-3) rallied to tie it with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Starting pitcher Kimberly Dea ripped a RBI double and shortstop Gizelle Leyva knocked her in with a booming triple to right center. Third baseman Priscilla Ortega brought in Leyva with a ground out to second to tie it 4-4.
Palomar had a relentless hitting attack that put the game away as the Comets ripped 17 hits against three PCC pitchers. However, five Lancers errors and a passed ball led to nine unearned runs. The Comets top hitter in the doubleheader was third baseman Allyson Amato, who went 6-for-8 with two doubles, a triple and six RBI. For PCC, Ortega and Leyva each were 2-for-4 in the second game.
One brightspot on defense was Lancers leftfielder Giselle Lopez, who started the second game only. Lopez made a sensational diving catch with her glove outstretched to rob a hit that ended the second inning. She turned a 7-2 double play in the fourth as she gunned out a runner at home plate on fly ball catch, then perfect one-hop throw to catcher Alyssa Ceballas. Lopez also made a running catch toward the fence to end the seventh.
On Friday, Feb. 4, PCC hosts a round-robin, tripleheader as the Lancers face Riverside City College at 11 a.m., Riverside plays Bakersfield at 1 p.m. and PCC takes on Bakersfield at 3 p.m.