Coaches have a familiar motto that states offense wins games, but defense wins championships.
The Bakersfield College women’s softball team has found a balance between the two fronts and is looking for a little team consistency before entering into its Western State Conference Blue Division games, which begin at Citrus College at noon on Saturday.
The conference will be divided into the Blue and Gold divisions this year. The team has played seven WSC games and will play its first Blue Division home games on Tuesday against Santa Barbara at 2:30 p.m. and against Moorpark on Friday at 3:30 p.m. before competing in the three-day Fresno Bash in Clovis over the weekend.
So far this season, the Renegades have used a combination of strong pitching and timely hitting to amass a record of 15-7 (3-2 WSC). The team is expected is play Thursday against Cuesta at BC.
On Tuesday, the ‘Gades fell behind five to three against Glendale by the fourth inning, but mounted a two-run rally in the top of the seventh to tie the score at 6. The Vaqueros (15-4, 4-1 WSC) put runners on base in the bottom of the seventh with nobody out and took advantage of a BC defensive miscue to hold off the ‘Gades for a 6-5 win.
Against Ventura on Feb. 28, BC earned an exciting 2-1 victory with some late-inning heroics.
BC received all of the offense it needed from lead-off hitter Kelli Arias. The Highland High graduate started the game by hitting a home run into left field to give the ‘Gades a quick 1-0 lead. Being a lead-off hitter, Arias said she was only trying to make contact.
During the middle five innings, the ‘Gades had multiple chances to build on their lead, but the Pirates played excellent defense.
BC and Ventura both collected six hits during the game. The ‘Gades had six runners in scoring position, but were unable to push any across the plate. They stranded a total seven runners on base.
The Pirates tied the score at 1-1 in the sixth inning when Jenifer Mullen hit an RBI single to center field.
In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and the game tied, Arias came to the plate looking to get on base and extend the inning.
However, she ultimately ended up sending everyone home when she hit a screaming line drive home run over the right center field fence to seal the victory. She finished the game going 3-3 with a walk and has a total of four home runs on the year.
Pitcher Candice Swan, from Centennial High, had a strong performance on the mound, giving up only one run on six hits. At the plate, she went 1-2. Brianna Dinwiddie and Joslyn Chivala both went 1-3 with doubles.
This was the first time the ‘Gades have defeated the defending WSC champion Pirates since 1997.
“It was an edge of your seat type of game,” said BC head coach Sandi Taylor. “It was just a matter of who was going to come up with the big hit.”