Softball Earns Two Wins to Open Season, Simon Collects First Victory as Head Coach

The Santiago Canyon College softball team opened its 2026 season on the road Friday morning, facing Compton College and Oxnard College in a doubleheader. The Hawks dominated both contests, earning an 11-0 five-inning victory over Compton before securing a 5-1 win over Oxnard.

With the pair of victories, head coach Lou Simon notched his first wins at the helm of the program.

Against Oxnard, the Hawks fell behind early when the Conquistadors pushed across a run in the top of the first inning on a two-out hit. Despite the early deficit, sophomore hurler Victoria Recendez toed the slab and quickly settled in, striking out the first and third batters of the inning to limit further damage.

Santiago Canyon's offense responded in the bottom half of the second inning. Freshman first baseman Alexis Chavez drew a leadoff walk, followed by a single from freshman right fielder Kylie Smith. Freshman left fielder Angeline Canez then delivered a three-run home run, scoring Chavez and Smith to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead.

Recendez continued to dominate in the circle, recording four more strikeouts and allowing just four additional base runners over her five innings of work.

The Hawks added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. A single from Alexis Chavez drove in freshman shortstop Mikayla Martinez, who reached base with a leadoff single. Freshman Allie Kirkpatrick, who doubled earlier in the inning, later scored on a single by freshman third baseman Violet Avila to seal the 5-1 victory.

Recendez (1-0) struck out 12 batters across five innings, scattering five hits and allowing only one run, to earn her first win of the season.

Offensively, Angeline Canez led the Hawks, finishing 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and three RBI. Kirkpatrick went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, while Chavez added a single, walk, RBI, and run scored in a 1-for-2 performance.