Softball: Early rallies lift Roadrunners to win over San Diego City

Freshman Katherine Arroyo drove in two runs and scored twice as part of a big day at the plate to help lead Rio Hondo College to a 7-4 win over visiting San Diego City College on Friday in Whittier.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak and improved the Roadrunners to 2-4-1 overall this season.

Arroyo set the table for Rio Hondo from the lead-off spot in the lineup. She went a perfect 2 for 2 from the plate with a walk.

Arroyo sparked a first-inning rally for the Roadrunners, leading off the bottom of the first with a double. She moved to third base thanks to an error and two batters later came in to score on a catcher's interference call.

With the bases still loaded, Madeline Peralta lined a two-run single to put Rio Hondo ahead 3-1. With no outs and runners on the corners, Miranda Fernandez' deep ground out to short brought in Sarah Paneda to cap a four-run, first inning for the Roadrunners.

San Diego City (0-1) scored another run in the top of the second to cut Rio Hondo's lead in half. But the Roadrunners responded with another scoring blitz, putting up three runs in the bottom of the frame.

Arroyo provided the big blow of the inning, a two-run triple that scored Samantha David and Azucena Enriquez. Alyssa Medrano followed with a single to drive in Arroyo to give the Roadrunners a commanding 7-2 advantage.

Peralta went the distance in the circle for the win. She scattered four runs and eight hits to earn her first victory of the season. She struck out three and walked three. From the batter's box, Peralta help out her own cause with 2 RBI.

Enriquez (2 for 3, 1 R) also had two hits for Rio Hondo while Medrano went 1 for 2 with a pair of walks.

Rio Hondo returns to South Coast Conference action on Monday (Feb. 11) at 3 p.m. when the Roadrunners travel to Los Angeles Harbor College to kick off a busy week of four games.