College of the Canyons came to Bakersfield College on March 13 to face the Renegades softball team in a doubleheader. Both teams came into the game riding impressive winning streaks. COC had won 17 straight, and BC 10 straight. Both streaks came to a halt, as BC won the first game 11-3, and COC the second 11-6.

In the first game, BC got off to a slow start, and was down 3-0 after the first inning.

But that would be all Canyons would score, as BC punched in one run in the third, seven runs in the fourth, and three more runs in the fifth to end the game.

They collected 11 hits to score the 11 runs, and committed no errors in the process.

Kaitlin Toerner led the offensive attack after getting five RBI’s on three hits (including a triple) in four at-bats, she was complemented by catcher Kara Frankhouser, who got three RBI’s on two hits.

BC starting pitcher Julie Estep (W, 6-3) settled down after allowing the three runs in the first. She shut down the COC attack over the last four innings. She struck out three, while allowing one walk.

In the second game, the tide turned, and it was Canyons that got off to a slow start, trailing 2-0 after the first inning.

But they came back to score one in the second, four in the third, two in the fifth, and four in the seventh. BC managed to score four runs in the seventh, but came up short as COC won the second game 11-6 and ended BC’s 11 game winning streak.

BC used seven hits to collect their six runs, and committed three errors that allowed COC two unearned runs.

On the road against Glendale on March 15, the Renegades suffered their second loss in a row in a tough 3-2 defeat. Glendale pitching was solid, as their two runs allowed were both unearned.

It was back to winning ways for the Renegades, as they beat Santa Monica College 13-0 on March 22 in SMC, beat Taft College 11-7 in a morning start at BC on March 24, then came back and won an afternoon match 18-2 against Santa Barbara City College.

“All three games, we were seeing the ball real well, hitting the ball real well. All three games we executed real well,” said BC head coach Sandi Taylor.

Besides the hitting, Taylor also gave credit to the pitching,

“Our pitching was outstanding, the seven runs against Taft was the result of four errors, and I don’t think we did as well as we could do defensively,” she said.

“And in that game, we started our freshman pitcher Kelsey Best, who got her first collegiate win, so that was good.

She had been kind of a relief pitcher for us, so for her to get the start and come out with that win was real good.

She also, in the Santa Barbara game, got her first collegiate home run,” she added.

The game against Riverside College on March 25 was postponed due to rain and will be played on April 21.