Hawks sweep with Mack’s three homers

By Ramon Scott
Updated: January 25, 2019

2018 SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN HAWKS SOFTBALL

East County Sports staff report

SANTEE (2-25-2019) – Kayla Mack, the star slugger for the San Diego Christian College women’s softball team, repeated history.

For the second time in her Hawks career, the sophomore belted three home runs in a doubleheader, leading the ballclub to Thursday’s (Jan. 24) season-opening sweep of St. Katherine.

Mack, the left fielder, collected all three of her bombs in the opener, as San Diego Christian (2-0 overall) vanquished the Firebirds (0-2) twice by run rule, 12-0 and 13-1, at Sportsplex USA.

Mack, a former All-East County first team selection out of Granite Hills High ().374, 9 HRs as a senior), collected 7 RBI with her long-balls from the clean-up spot. She also accomplished the homer feat as a freshman at the NAIA So. Cal Classic in a Day 2 doubleheader against Northwest Christian and Ottawa University of Arizona.

Meanwhile, the pitching tandem of Madison Bostick and Madelyn Jacobs dominated to both collect victories.

In Game 1, Bostick started out by striking out the side, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning, to open the afternoon. She finished with 6 strikeouts in tossing a 2-hit shutout.

The Hawks collected 14 hits, including three each by Mack (all homers) and Laylyn Rubalcava.

Mack smacked her first homer in the 1st, sending a shot to right-center field to open the scoring and collecting the game-winning RBI. Mack repeated the feat with an identical shot to the same spot beyond the fence in the 3rd for a 4-0 lead.

Then in the 4th, Mack finished her homer hat trick with a deep, 3-run shot to left, successfully waiting on an off-speed pitch before wasting the pitch. The inning also featured an RBI triple by Elizabeth Wilson, when the Hawks scored six times. The other run-scoring basehits were by Rubalcava and Jo Jo Nicolas.

In Game Two, Jacobs also tossed a 2-hitter, facing just one batter over the minimum after Hawks catcher Bailey Romano threw out a would be base-stealer. Romano also recorded an RBI with a sacrifice fly.

After scoring six times in the 4th inning in the opener, the nightcap saw SDCC tally nine runs in the frame. The rally was capped by a home run by Jacobs (2-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 runs).

Meanwhile, center fielder Tori Harris batted 3-for-4, but Mack went 0-fo-1 and was walked three times to give her a .857 on-base percentage.

Both Mack and Romano, a transfer from Palomar College, were all-Golden State Athletic Conference performers last season.

San Diego Christian will have a week off to celebrate before hosting La Sierra on Fri., Feb. 1.

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