With its most important series of the season looming next week, it’d be hard to say College of the Canyons softball doesn’t have momentum.
The Cougars routed Victor Valley College of Victorville, 15-0, in five innings Thursday on the road.
It was the second straight game in which COC scored at least 14 runs and shut out their opponent.
The Cougars scored four runs in the first, three in the second and four each in the third and fourth frames. Five different Cougars had two hits. The team had 14 in all.
Tuesday’s double-header promises to be more difficult, though.
The Cougars (24-6-1 overall, 10-2 in WSC, East) will host Antelope Valley College, currently two games ahead of COC for first place in the Western State Conference, East Division.
Antelope Valley beat the Cougars 7-6 on March 16, a game in which COC scored two runs in the top of the seventh before the Marauders (26-5, 12-0) closed the deal.
Two COC wins Tuesday in a matchup of the conference’s best offensive teams would knot the contenders with four conference games remaining.
Antelope Valley has scored 142 runs in conference. COC has scored 129 – a host of which came with relative ease Thursday.
Sienna Vannoy opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first inning. And Melanie Abzun capped it in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly.
Heidi Ludy finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Alexis Ramirez went 2-for-2 with two RBIs. And Katie Taix also drove in two runs.
Ramirez, Taix and Sarah Wilson teamed up in the circle to hold Victor Valley (1-8, 3-24-1) to one hit.
Taix struck out four, walked none and allowed a hit in two innings of work.
As usual, there was plenty of room for error as the Cougars continued what has been the best offensive season in coach John Wissmath’s ten years at the school.
Earlier this week, the Cougars outscored winless LA Valley 11-6 and 14-0 in a double-header. They have scored at least 11 runs in six of their last seven games.
