Covarrubias Clutch Pinch-Hit Single Helps Huskies Notch Historic Win at Mt. SAC

Locked in a pitcher's duel for most of the contest against the State's #4 ranked team in the Mt. San Antonio College Mounties, East Los Angeles College was on the short end of a 1-0 pitchers' duel... until freshman OF Toni Covarrubias pinch-hit in the top of the sixth and delivered perhaps the biggest clutch hit of the Huskies' season to date. Her two-out, two-run single to center flipped the lead to the Pack, and freshman P Nadine Gutierrez sat down the Mounties in order in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to lock down the big conference win (18-11, 6-9). 

It was ELAC's first win against Mt. SAC (22-7, 13-3) in eight years... almost to the day, in fact (a road win on March 27, 2018).

Gutierrez (16-6), who's fourth in the State for both wins and strikeouts, turned in another outstanding outing: a one-hit gem against a team with a collective batting average of .376 (fifth in the State). She walked just three while striking out five, giving up one run unearned.

The road Green (well, all-black yesterday) struggled offensively against Mt. SAC's quality pitching until the top of the sixth. With one-out and down 1-0, East LA freshman Nicole Monte pinch hit for freshman Kamila Obeso and walked (Leanna Ramirez came on to pinch-run). Next up was sophomore 3b Alexis Arguellas, who singled to left. Freshman 1B Ava Sanchez struck out swinging, and head coach Erika Blanco reached to her bench again to call on Covarrubias to hit for RF Brianna Baillon. A passed ball advanced both Ramirez and Arguelles to third and second respectively, which served huge: Covarrubias then lined a single to center that plated both runners for the 2-1 lead.

That's all Gutierrez needed: she retired the Mounties in order in the sixth and seventh innings for the road dub.

HUSKY BITS

• Gutierrez got some help from her defense, as the Huskies turned two double-plays in the game.

UP NEXT: 

Not a lot of time to celebrate the big win, but they can build upon it as they travel to El Camino College on Thursday to take on the State #10-ranked Warriors at 2pm.