By Jesse Muñoz
COC Sports Information Director
SYLMAR — College of the Canyons plated three runs on Jordan Shepherd’s pinch hit home run in the sixth to help secure its first conference victory with a 7-4 road win at L.A. Mission College on March 17.
Canyons (13-10, 1-2) scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings to build a 4-1 advantage headed into the fourth inning.
COC received an RBI single from Jeniece Jimenez in the first frame, then saw Jocelyn Jimenez come in to score as part of a double steal for the Cougars.
Jocelyn Jimenez later homered in the third ahead of Amber Phillips’ bases-loaded walk to make it a 4-1 Canyons lead. Jocelyn Jimenez finished the game 2-for-4 with the home run and two runs scored. Phillips walked twice in the contest.
COC starter Anais Perez controlled the L.A. Mission (10-14, 1-2) lineup for the bulk of the game aside from a three-run surge by the Eagles in the fourth inning. LAMC also scored a run in the second inning.
Perez (7-7) earned the win after pitching the full seven innings. She allowed four runs, three earned, while scattering 10 hits alongside four walks.
Shephard, who returned to the lineup after a three-game absence, added her three-run home run in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie and put the Cougars ahead for good.
Krista Viereck recorded two hits, while Giselle Merida was 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.
Cougars Bounce Back to Split at Santa Ana
SANTA ANA — College of the Canyons split its non-conference doubleheader at Santa Ana College on March 18, with the Cougars using a five-run first inning to earn the bounce-back victory in game two.
Canyons (14-11, 1-2) suffered a 5-3 loss in the opener to halt a two-game win streak. The Cougars then pounced on Santa Ana in the late game, riding that five-run outburst to an eventual 6-2 victory.
Jeniece Jimenez got the scoring started with an RBI triple that brought in two runs. Jordan Shepherd continued to flash a hot bat with a single down that left field line to plate Jeniece Jimenez and move COC ahead 3-0.
Giselle Merida brought Shepherd in on an infield ground-out before Belinda Lujano capped the first inning with another RBI base hit for the 5-0 advantage.
Shepherd, Jeniece Jimenez and Merida were joined by Yahali Gonzalez in collecting two hits apiece in the game.
COC received a big lift from sophomore pitcher Akane Gonzalez, who returned to the Cougars’ starting lineup in making her first start in the circle since Feb. 10.
Akane Gonzalez (6-2) earned the win by scattering six hits across the full seven innings. The right-hander walked one, struck out three and was charged for two earned runs.
Santa Ana (5-16, 2-5) drove in a run in the fourth inning to make it a 6-1 game and was able to score another on an extra-base hit in the final frame.
In the opener, it was Santa Ana able to overcome more early production from the Cougars’ lineup.
COC built a 3-0 lead heading into the home half of the second inning before the Dons regained control. Santa Ana got to Canyons starter Anais Perez in pushing across four runs in the inning to take a 4-3 lead.
Perez (8-8) pitched into the third but allowed another run and was later tagged for the loss. She lasted two and 2/3 innings allowing five hits with two walks. The Cougars’ defense also committed three errors behind Perez.
Akane Gonzalez pitched a scoreless final three and 1/3 innings to keep Canyons in the contest, but the Cougars didn’t score again in the game.
Jocelyn Jimenez recorded an RBI sacrifice fly in the first and singled in another pair of runs in the second to aid the Cougars’ scoring efforts. Yahali Gonzalez had two hits in the game to represent the only multi-hit stat line of the game.
COC softball roundup: Cougars beat LA Mission, split Santa Ana doubleheader
