Region XIV Championship Tournament qualification was on the line Saturday, when Coastal Bend College hosted the Dolphins of Alvin Community College on Sophomore Day at Cougar Field in Veteran's Memorial Park. The Cougars were looking to defend their position of either the third or fourth seed from the South, while Alvin was looking to unseat the Cougars and lock up fourth.
Game One
The Dolphins would take a first inning 2-0 lead with a home run off Cougar staff ace Tessa Ramirez. The Cougars would come back in the bottom of the 2nd led by Alivia Mata-Alamillo's BOMB to right center, which was gone from time it left the plate. The blast scored Harley Escamilla who had reached on a fielders choice earlier in the inning.
CBC shortstop Alana Benitez would lead off the third inning with a double to centerfield. Katelynn Torres would beat out a sacrifice bunt to put runners on the corners for Yadira Lopez. Lopez promptly singled to short, to score Torres and give the Cougars the 3-2 lead.
Escamillia would kick off the 6th inning with a rope to right center field legging out a triple. She would score when pinch-hitter Elia Palomo would hit a seeing-eye single up the middle to plate the Cougars fourth run of the game. CBC speedster Ashley Patterson re-entered the game for Palomo promptly moved to second, took third on a passed ball, and scores the fifth Cougar run on a pop-up to the second baseman sliding head first at home.
Ramirez would hold the line until giving back to singles, that turned into a run scoring double as the Cougars committed consecutive errors; moving the score to 5-3. Ramirez would get back to back to strikeouts and a line to left field lock down a BIG victory. The Righty earned her seventh win of the season, pitching a complete seven innings. She surrendered only four hits, three runs while striking out seven opposing batters.
CBC First Baseman, Alivia Mata-Alamillo helped lead the Cougar offense with two RBI's on the day with her Home run. Alana Benitez, Yadira Lopez and Elia Palomo each recorded an RBI to contribute to the teams win.
Game Two
While the first game of the doubleheader featured timely hitting and base running; the second game was a defensive showcase with four putouts in the first two innings and perfectly positioned defenders who snagged crisply hit shots.
Escamilla again came up big in the bottom of the 4th, roping a triple to left centerfield and plating 2nd baseman Juliana Dominguez who drew a walk to reach first. Dominguez slid home just ahead of the tag. Escamilla came home one out later when Grace Martinez drilled a ball that the Dolphin shortstop couldn't handle; allow the Cougars to take a 2-0 lead in the defensive battle.
Cougars gave the lead right back in the top of the 5th, as Dolphins banged out three runs. The second of which appeared to be the fifth putout of the game with Escamilla blocking home plate. The umpire saw differently and the score stood Alvin 3 CBC 2.
CBC starter Nessa Poncio pitched a gem keeping the Dolphin hitters off balanced most of the day. Sophomore Haley Smith came on in the top of the 6th and retired the Dolphins 1-2-3. Lopez led off the bottom half of the inning with a flare into short left center. Makayla Wesley laced a single just inside the first-base bag, sending Lopez to third. Lopez came home on Dominguez's single between short and third tieing the score 3-3.
Benitez led off the bottom of the 7th with a line drive double into right center. Torres drew a walk, putting Cougars on first and second and led to Dolphin pitching change. Lopez lined a single to left field, sending Benitez home ahead of the throw for the 4-3 win.
In a collective team effort in the pitching circle, Isabella Gutierrez, Nessa Poncio and Haley Smith helped keep the Dolphins off the base paths. Gutierrez pitched three complete innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out two batters. Poncio relieved Gutierrez in the top of the fourth and pitched two innigs while surrendering one earned run on two hits. Smith entered the game to releive Poncio in the top of the sixth inning to earn her second win of the season. Smith did not allow a single hit during her outing.
Benitez, Escamilla, Yadira Lopez, and Juliana Dominguez each knocked in a RBI for the Cougars. Defensively the Cougars played a clean game with no errors.
With the win the Cougars earn another trip to the Region XIV Championships scheduled for March 12th - 16th at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX. It remains to be seen if the Cougars will be the number three or the number four seed in the tournament. A make up game with Galveston College next week may well decide that position.