The Long Beach City College softball team closed out its 2009 South Coast Conference and regular season schedule with a 5-1 loss to visiting Mt. San Antonio College on Tuesday.
 
With the loss, LBCC finishes the regular season in third place in the SCC at 11-7 and will head to the postseason with a 31-12 overall record.
 
Tuesday’s game started as a pitcher’s duel as LBCC sophomore Christine Gonzalez kept Mt. SAC hitless over the first three innings while the Mounties’ Diane Ortiz allowed just one hit.
 
But Mt. SAC broke the game open in the fourth, rallying for three runs. Liz Javier had a RBI single, Ashley Larios had a run-scoring single, and a third run came in to score thanks to a Long Beach error.
 
Long Beach scored its lone run in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore catcher Alyssa Belmontes led off with a single and came in to score three batters later on a double by sophomore shortstop Rose Vargas.
 
Mt. SAC added two more run in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach.
 
Gonzalez (24-9) went the distance in the losing effort. She allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits.
 
Vargas continued her hot hitting at the plate to lead LBCC. After going 5 for 6 over two games on Saturday, Vargas was 2 for 3 against Mt. SAC with a pair of doubles and a RBI.
 
Ortiz (17-5) earned the complete-game win for the Mounties (36-10, 14-4 SCC). She allowed just one run and six hits. Javier was 2 for 3 with a run and RBI to lead the Mt. SAC offense.
 
The Vikings will now look to the postseason. The first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs are scheduled for May 2-3. LBCC will likely receive a first-round home series.
 
Last season, Long Beach defeated L.A. Mission in round one and Saddleback in the Super Regionals to qualify for the state championships.
 
Report By LBCC