Folsom Lake Begins Conference Play With Sweep Of Mendocino

The Falcons opened their Bay Valley Conference schedule at Falcon Diamond yesterday against Mendocino College and made it a memorable day with the first two victories in FLC softball history.  In the opening game, the Falcons refused to give up as they came from behind three different times to tie or retake the lead - the final one in extra innings - to win 10-9.  They trailed 3-1 in the third when sophomore Bree Martinez hit her fourth home run of the season – a liner over the left field fence – with a runner on base to tie the game at three.  The Eagles then built a 7-3 lead  by the sixth inning, but the Falcons erased that with a five-run inning to lead 8-7 after six.  It was a lead they could not hold, however, as the Eagles scored two in the top half of the seventh to go on top 9-8.  But the Falcons would not give up, as infielder Brooke Stacy led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, stole second, then scored on an Eagles' fielding error to tie the game and send it into extra innings.  In the eighth, Gabi Segura led off with a single, then scored the game-winner with her speed as she scored all the way from first on an infield hit and an error.  

In game 2, the Falcons' new-found confidence was evident as they quickly scored three runs in the first to go up 3-1.  The offense really exploded in the third, however, when they pushed across six runs to take a 9-3 lead.  Centerfielder Gabi Segura had a perfect game at the  plate, collecting four hits in four at-bats - including a double - to go along with her defensive prowess in the outfield.  Abbie Strickland added a triple, while Bell Gomez and Brooke Stacy each had two hits.  Hailee Gall returned from four weeks on the disabled list (shoulder injury) to pitch six strong innings and earn the win.