Freshman Arianna Forthman went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI to lead Taft College at the plate in the opening game of a Central Valley Conference doubleheader at Fresno City College on Friday. Taft lost the contest by a final score of 10-5 and fell 15-4 in Game 2.
A six-run, second-inning by FCC was all the offense the Rams would need in Game 1. Gillian Hale took the loss after allowing nine earned runs and 13 hits over the complete-game effort.
But trailing 7-1 in the fourth, the Cougars rallied for two runs before adding three more in the fifth. Morgan Pulido drove in Forthman for TC's first run with an RBI single while Hanna Smith scored on a passed ball.
In the fifth, Joseline Chavez singled in Hailee Danneker before Forthman smacked a two-run single to bring home Chavez and Unique Escandon.
Fresno closed out the contest with a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Taft fell behind early again in Game 2. The Rams put up five runs in the second off Hale before scoring five more runs each in the third and fourth innings.
Chavez (2 for 3, 1 RBI) and Pulido (2 for 2, 1 run) both had two hits each for the Cougars. Kaylee Beltran, Escandon, and Genesis Acosta also drove in runs for Taft.
Hale allowed just one earned run over 3 1/3 innings pitched but took the loss.
The losses dropped Taft to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play. The Cougars will look to snap a four-game losing streak on Thursday (May 13) when they host Antelope Valley Conference in a non-conference doubleheader.