American River College’s softball team comeback from down three runs was stopped short as it fell 7-6 against San Joaquin Delta Tuesday.
ARC pitcher Sharie Albert threw all nine innings and allowed 14 hits and seven runs scored with five runs earned.
SJDC infielder Victoria Mata brought in the game-winning run on a RBI single with only one out left in the inning.
“(It) wasn’t the pitch, she just got a hold of the ball,” said Albert on the game winning play.
SJDC began with a one run lead in the first on an error from ARC first baseman Michelle Tarlandoukht.
Tarlandoukht would make up for the early mistake by going 2-5 with two RBI’s.
“We’ve been playing such solid defense, they know they can get it back with their bats. So they stay pretty positive,” said ARC head coach Lisa Delgado.
The middle innings proved to be a back and forth contest.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, ARC tied the contest on a RBI double by second baseman Lolli Conway.
Delta would answer right back in the next inning with a run batted in double from its first baseman Britany Heinle.
By the bottom of the sixth, Delta had gone up 4-1 after three unanswered runs.
A ball hit off the end of Albert’s bat took a bad hop and struck Delta’s third baseman Maryanne Peluso in the throat during the bottom of the sixth.
Peluso was escorted off of the field on a stretcher and taken to an ambulance.
ARC right fielder Kaylee Avilla initiated the rally in the seventh with a shallow flyout that dropped in for a RBI single.
Delta then walked the next batter, and a wild pitch from SJDC’s Miranda Quesada advanced the runners into scoring position.
Tarlandoukht lined over first base for a two run single that tied the game at 4.
SJDC scored two runs in the top of eight, but ARC retaliated in the bottom frame after outfielder Stephanie Scott RBI singled and stole second base to have both runners in scoring position.
Jennifer Woo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Tarlandoukht then hit an RBI single to tie the game again.
ARC outfielder Stephanie Scott grounded out to end the inning, and SJDC took the lead for good in the ninth.
