Fullerton College softball team tops El Camino twice and advances to state tourney

Khloe Lilavois singled in a run in a wild 3-run sixth and then came all the away around to score on two throwing errors. (Photos courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone)

Fullerton College’s magical softball season will continue for another week after the Hornets rallied for a pair of unlikely victories over host El Camino Saturday in a CCCAA Super Regional Tournament.

The Hornets won Saturday’s first game, 5-4, and followed up with a 4-1 win in the second game.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

Freshman Jessica Lopez (30) allowed one run in 10 innings to collect two victories.

Catcher Veronica Garza shut down El Camino's vaunted running game, throwing out five of seven runners.

Saby Anguiano ignited a 3-run sixth-inning rally by singling and racing to third on an outfield error, taking the throw to third in the back in the process.

Fullerton's Anabel Mendez joyfully races past a dejected El Camino dugout after hitting her second home run of the game.

The Fullerton College softball team defeated El Camino twice Saturday to advance to the state tourney.

A pair of two-run home runs by right fielder Anabel Mendez and three innings of scoreless relief by Jessica Lopez allowed Fullerton to overcome a three-run deficit and win Saturday’s opener.

The Hornets then neutralized a 1-0 deficit by scoring three times in the sixth to win the second game.

Lopez started game two and allowed one run in seven innings but the Hornets, who ran themselves out of two early rallies, began the sixth trailing, 1-0. It was then the Warriors’ turn to come unraveled, as three errors, coupled with three Hornet hits, led to three runs and a 3-1 lead.

Lopez retired the Warriors in order in the bottom of the sixth and Mendez added to the Hornet lead with her third home run of the day in the top of the seventh.

The win, Fullerton’s 37^th of the season, advanced the Hornets to the CCCAA State Tournament, which begins Thursday in Bakersfield with games at Cal State Bakersfield and Bakersfield City College.

As is the case in such dramatic success, teams have lots of heroes, and this was no exception, but few contributed more to the Hornets’ trip to Bakersfield than catcher Veronica Garza, who shut down El Camino’s vaunted running game.

The Warriors entered the Super Regional with a state-leading 167 stolen bases, having been thrown out only 25 times in 45 games. Garza threw out five of the seven runners who challenged her.

– Story courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone