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PASADENA, Calif. - For two seasons, Brittany Ching has turned in gold glove standard defense for the Pasadena City College softball team at maybe the toughest position on the field--the hot corner. The third baseman is known for her cannon arm and with her quick reflexes she has put together a highlight reel of great plays and robbed many hits from opponents.

This season, Ching's bat has become another part of her importance to the Lancers' success. In PCC's 8-2 win over Rio Hondo Thursday, Ching batted 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and a stolen base. She added a few more nice defensive gems, including robbing a hit on a play to her left in the first and spearing a liner that she turned into a 5-4 double play in the sixth.

Ching, a sophomore from Covina High, raised her batting average to .325 and her six doubles leads the team in that category. 

Under head coach Monica Tantlinger, the Lancers upped their record to 23-10-1 overall and a strong 8-2 in second place in the South Coast Conference North Division. PCC remains No. 10 in the RPI ratings which help determine the at-large berths for the 2017 SoCal Playoffs. Pasadena is trying to advance to the postseason for the first time since 2006.

PCC sophomore pitcher Pica Madrid fired five shutout innings, retiring the first 10 batters and allowing two hits overall. She upped her record to 11-5 and lowered her ERA to 2.74. In her last six appearances, Madrid has a 3-1 record, one save, and allowed only 18 hits and five earned runs for 1.48 ERA over 23.2 innings. 

In the team's 14-hit attack, shortstop Karina Moreno (double, stolen base), centerfielder Angel Urbina and designated player Brittany Gonzales all had two hits. First baseman Bree Howard added a 2-RBI single in the sixth. Backup catcher Grace Sinisterra went 1-for-1 with a walk, a steal and a sacrifice bunt. 

PCC next plays at Chaffey in a conference game on Tuesday, April 18 in a 3 p.m. first pitch.

(Courtesy Robert Lewis, Pasadena City College Sports Information)