No. 7 Canyons Sweeps Corsairs to Clinch WSC, Blue Division Championship

The No. 7 regionally ranked College of the Canyons softball team has clinched the 2016 Western State Conference (WSC), Blue Division Championship after sweeping a doubleheader from Santa Monica College on Tuesday.

Canyons (25-9, 15-2) also received some help in the standings, with second place Bakersfield College splitting its doubleheader with L.A. Valley. The combination of COC's two wins and the loss by the Renegades put the Cougars five games up with four conference contests remaining.

The conference title is the program's 13th overall and sixth under nine-year head coach John Wissmath. Canyons previously won back-to-back-to-back WSC titles in 2012, 2013, 2014.

The Cougars, who are ranked No. 13 in the state, made short work of the visiting Corsairs on Tuesday, with a 9-1 victory in the first game and an 18-4 thumping in the second outing. Both games were called after five innings. 

COC pitcher Ashley Russo won both games to improve her record to 20-6 on the season. In all, the sophomore pitcher threw six innings while scattering six hits, striking out four and allowing a pair of runs.

In the first game Canyons actually trailed 1-0 after the first half inning of play. But from there it was all Cougars, as COC scored six runs in the home half of the inning and never looked back.

The Cougars batted through the lineup and received RBIs from Ariana Rea, Kiana Holder, Nicole Maliniemi, Alejandra Navarro and Cheyenne Steward.

Steward finished the day 1-for 2 with two RBIS including a triple, a walk, a sac-fly, and two runs scored.

Rea was 1-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and two RBIs. Navarro was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

In the second game Canyons was again in control throughout, holding a 7-0 lead through three innings. Apparently not satisfied with that margin, the Cougars plated an impressive 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth innings to end all hope for the Corsairs. 

Five players recorded multi-hit games including Sarah Wilson who led the way by going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. 

Sophomore Jennifer Metcalf was 3-for-4 including a home run in the Cougars' big fourth inning. She finished the game with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Holder went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and walk, while Navarro and Rea both added two more hits and two RBIs apiece.

With six games remaining in the regular season, Canyons will next travel to Glendale College for a doubleheader on Thursday, April 21. That series includes a makeup game that had to be rescheduled from March 29, due to inclement weather. COC will be the designated home team in the first outing.

The Cougars will also host No. 3 regionally ranked Palomar College for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23.  The Comets are also the No. 6 ranked team in the state. 

Canyons will conclude the regular season on Tuesday, April 26, with a home doubleheader vs. L.A. Valley College.

The first round of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) SoCal Regional Playoffs will be held May 7-8. Playoff seedings and matchups will be announced on April 30.