BC softball survives uneasy Glendale matchup, wins 6-4
Mar. 30—A laid-back pregame gave way to a nerve-racking game at Bakersfield College Thursday afternoon.
After the Renegades and their foes from Glendale took full advantage of a 48-minute delay due to field conditions, dance-battling their way through an array of 21st-century pop hits, the two teams found themselves in a real battle on the diamond soon after.
The Vaqueros, who had been outscored 49-2 over their previous three meetings with BC, took advantage of the Renegades' inconsistent base running, defensive errors and poor clutch hitting to tie the game at 3-3 in the fourth inning.
But leadoff hitter Shelbie Valencia came through for the Renegades in the fifth, battling her way to a three-run home run on an 0-2 count and completing a 4-for-4 day.
"When she does well at the plate, we usually win," BC coach Casey Goodman said. "She's leadoff for a reason, she takes great at-bats, she gets the rest of the lineup pumped up and going ... It doesn't hurt to have a leadoff that can hit bombs, too."
After an up-and-down stint in relief by Kady Smith, starter Ryleigh Harrison reentered the circle to get the last five outs and seal a 6-4 win for BC.
The Renegades have had their last five weeks derailed by a slew of weather-related postponements, and Thursday's game, once it finally got going, became just the second Western State Conference matchup they have been able to play since March 10. They improved to 14-8 (6-1 WSC) with plenty of doubleheaders to come on the schedule.
"We haven't been able to get in a rhythm all year," Goodman said. "We play a game, it rains a week, we play a game, it rains a week. Any time right now, at this point, when we can get a win, it doesn't really matter how we're doing it, it just matters that it's a 'W' in the win column."
Harrison gave up a pair of early hits, a Mya Chacon double and Jayleen Piedra single, as Glendale earned its first run. However, BC looked back on course for another dominant victory after turning a pair of singles into two first-inning scores.
