Rapoza Sets Wins Record as Warriors Beat Fullerton in Playoff Opener

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College softball head coach Jessica Rapoza set the program's all-time coaching wins record on Friday as the Warriors defeated Fullerton 6-3 in game one of the 3C2A Softball SoCal Regional Playoffs at Hornet Field.

Rapoza won her 328th game as head coach of the Warriors, surpassing Julie Feenstra's mark of 327 wins over 20 seasons. Rapoza accomplished the feat in 11 seasons and 467 total games, seven seasons and 213 fewer games than it took for Feenstra to reach that total. Rapoza is currently 328-138-1 and counting over 11 seasons at ECC.

In Rapoza's tenure at ECC, the Warriors have won four SCC titles and advanced to the postseason in every season she has been at the helm. The Warriors advanced to their first 3C2A State Championship in 2018 and made a return trip in 2025, the program's most successful season. The Warriors won a program-record 39 games in 2025 and finished tied for third in the state, coming one win shy of advancing to the state championship finals.

On Friday, the Warriors overcame a 1-0 deficit with five unanswered runs and rode that wave to victory. Kate Pedroza was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Sophia Munguia was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Raquel Alonso tossed a complete game and allowed three runs on 11 hits with one walk and two strikeouts to earn her 11th win in the circle.

The Hornets took the lead in the third inning on an RBI double by Toafa Pua. But Alonso escaped any further damage in the inning as she got Anela Quinones to line into a double play to end the frame.

The Warriors would then tie things up in the next inning quickly as Munguia hit an infield single with one out and then Pedroza doubled her in to make it 1-1. After a single by Melissa Terrazas and a steal of second, Kamaile Ho reached on a fielder's choice and Pedroza scored on the play to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead.

In the fifth, Emma Padilla hit an RBI single to score Abigale Deech from second. With two outs, Terrazas hit a two-run single to make it 5-1.

Fullerton would score twice in their half of the fifth to cut the deficit to two but they would get no closer as the Warriors added an insurance run in the seventh and went on to take a 1-0 lead in the best of three series.

The teams will play game two on Saturday at noon with the Warriors as the designated home team. A win for ECC would move them on to the 3C2A Super Regionals for the third straight season and sixth time in 11 years under Rapoza.

A Fullerton win would result in a winner-take-all game three at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.