COLLEGE SOFTBALL: OC pushes past EPCC in Friday's doubleheader

Odessa College's Jayda Lorigan pitches in the second inning against El Paso Community College Friday at Wrangler Softball Complex. Michael Bauer|Odessa American

The No. 7 Odessa College softball team easily defeated El Paso Community College in a doubleheader, winning by scores of 9-0 and 7-0 Friday at Wrangler Softball Complex.

With the victories, the Lady Wranglers improved to 41-4 overall, 22-0 in Western Junior College Athletic Conference.

It was the start of a four-game series to close out the regular season.

Odessa College will host the Region V Championship Tournament next week, beginning on Wednesday.

“I don’t know if we played our best softball,” Odessa College head coach Doug Eastman said. “I thought we were a little flat. Towards the end of the year, you need a little adrenaline rush. I think we started to relax a little too much. “They still need to be focused. They still need to play the game. We have to be a little sharper than that, especially with regionals starting next Wednesday.”

Both teams will conclude the series with another doubleheader, scheduled for noon Saturday at the Wrangler Softball Complex.

El Paso Community College fell to 15-23, 8-14.

“We didn’t come out and play as well in the first game as I was hoping,” El Paso Community College head coach Katie Gutierrez said. “But we got our feet under us in the second game. I just wished we came out stronger in the first game.”

The Tejanas finished with only six hits total from both games combined.

Hadyn Milley, who earned WJCAC Pitcher of the Week, started Game 1 in the circle for the Lady Wranglers.

The Lady Wranglers didn’t take long to get started, scoring four runs off five hits in the bottom of the first inning.

Mason Barclay slid home for another Lady Wrangler run in the bottom of the second inning, giving the hosts a 6-0 lead.

Renske Tellekamp hit a two-run homer and the hosts had an 8-0 lead.

Reganied Franka scored a run in the bottom of the third and the Lady Wranglers’ lead became 9-0.

The Tejanas managed to hold Odessa College scoreless in the fourth inning.

El Paso Community College didn’t get its first hit until the fifth inning when Dana Castillo’s short field single allowed her to get on first.

Odessa College brought in Seniah Hanies to finish the game in the circle as the Lady Wranglers finished up with the win.

The Tejanas got a runner in scoring position as Michelle Diaz got on third in the top of the first inning.

However, El Paso Community College left her stranded.

A run by Reganied Franka in the bottom of the second gave Odessa College a 1-0 lead.

Shelby Navarrete hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to extend the Lady Wranglers’ lead to 3-0.

Odessa College added another run in the bottom of the fourth.

A home run by Mahagan-Bernal gave the Lady Wranglers a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

Odessa College managed to hang on for the second consecutive shutout.

“We made the pitches that we needed to,” Eastman said. “I just think we left a couple of base runners on due to poor pitches. We’ll get stronger and better. We’ll get more energy out here on Saturday.”