(Walnut, CA) Mt. SAC sophomore third baseman Janis Espinoza led the Mounties to their fifth win in the last six games with three hits and a solo home run in a 3-1 South Coast Conference game on Friday, March 1.

With the win, the Mounties improved to 11-6 overall and 3-1 in the SCC.

"At the beginning of the season, we tried to do too much, and now we're kind of settling within ourselves, finding our own identity," Espinoza said. "Now we're owning it.

"We're a young team, and we're taking a lot of pride in that and taking it one step at a time. I have a lot of trust and confidence in these girls, and it's paying off in practice."

Espinoza (3-3, RBI, R, SB) opened the Mounties' first inning with a solo home run, and later in the inning, right fielder Alyssa Rubalcava (2-4, R, Dbl.) came home with the second run on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Katie Griego.

The Mounties added a third run to lead 3-0 as second baseman Amanda Esquivel (1-3, R) scored on another sacrifice fly by first baseman Audrey White.

Meanwhile, sophomore pitcher Aleyna Urbina (5-5) scattered eight hits and struck out five El Camino batters.

The Warriors threatened in the top of the sixth with a run after they loaded the bases, but Urbina induced a groundout to end the inning, and they went quietly in the seventh.

Mt. SAC continues SCC action at East L. A. College on Tuesday, March 5.