Softball: Roadrunners can’t shut the door on Mounties, fall 4-3

WHITTIER --- Rio Hondo College was one out away from defeating perennial state power Mt. San Antonio College but with their backs to the wall, the Mounties rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to hand the Roadrunners a tough 4-3 loss in a South Coast Conference game on Tuesday.

Rio Hondo struck first, getting a run in the bottom of the second thanks to a two-out, RBI single by Alexis Mayorga that scored Lourdes Soria. Mt. SAC (6-0, 2-0 SCC) got that run back in the top of the fifth before Rio Hondo would jump back out in front.

The Roadrunners got more clutch hitting as Alexis Rivera lined a two-out, two-run single that brought home Ashley Bravo and Mayorga with the tying and go-ahead runs.

Clarissa Evangelista pitched well for the Roadrunners until finally running out of gas in the top of the seventh. The Mounties totaled five of their 11 hits in the frame to score all three runs with two outs.

Evangelista went the distance in the loss, allowing four earned runs with four strike outs. Mayorga was 2 for 3 at the plate to lead the Roadrunners.

Rio Hondo dropped to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the SCC. The Roadrunners will look to bounce back on Thursday (Feb. 10) when they travel to Glendale Community College for a 2:30 p.m. non-conference game.