HARBOR CITY - Getting a victory on the road in the Marine League is tough in softball, so whenever San Pedro High softball can seize one, it's truly a big one.

The youthful Pirates have been through two trials by fire when a couple of home runs allowed would lead to two agonizing road losses to both Carson and Banning of Wilmington, so when sophomore pitcher Quincy Greenwood surrendered a home run on the first pitch she threw at Narbonne of Harbor City, it was nearly deja vu all over again.

However, it was the long ball of another sophomore, right fielder Gidget Gutierrez that was able to galvanize visiting San Pedro as they were able to gain that crucial Marine League road victory with a 7-5 victory over Narbonne on Thursday to remain on course in the league title chase. 

The Pirates (15-8-1 overall, 6-2 league) are just a game behind both Carson and Banning in the Marine League and have a chance to really shake things up if they can close out the regular season by beating both teams at home next week.

Down 1-0 through three innings, San Pedro would get a two-out RBI-single from Gutierrez to drive home junior second baseman Mackenzie Winkle in the top of the fourth to even the score with the Gauchos (5-10, 2-5), then Greenwood would promptly retire Narbonne in order to set up what would be the breakthrough inning for the Pirates, which all started in the top of the fifth inning after senior first baseman Alexa Jaramillo popped out.

Junior shortstop Deanna Gonzalez would reach first on an error, then sophomore catcher Anessa Quiroz singled. Junior designated player Andrea Cline drew a nine-pitch walk to load the bases, but then a wild pitch by Narbonne junior pitcher Jessica Robledo would plate Gonzalez and put San Pedro ahead 2-1. 

A suicide squeeze bunt by Winkle drove in freshman courtesy runner Marina Aranda, the throw to first base was errant, which allowed sophomore left fielder Taiya Reyna, who ran for Cline, to also score on the same play. Winkle advanced to second on the error. After junior third baseman Ricki Justiniano popped out, Greenwood smacked a single to right field to score Winkle, then Gutierrez's home run to right field gave San Pedro a 7-1 advantage.

That six-run barrage was exactly what San Pedro needed, especially after what would follow that rally.

A wild collision with two outs between Reyna and junior center fielder Andrea Trejo gave Narbonne a pair of runs and new life in the bottom of the fifth, then Robledo's RBI-double made it 7-4, and then the Gauchos took advantage of errors by Gutierrez and Quiroz to add another run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Gonzalez would then relieve Greenwood in the bottom of the seventh, striking out the first batter she faced, then inducing two straight ground ball outs to secure the save for San Pedro.

Greenwood allowed five runs, three of them were unearned, but pitched a gutsy four-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks to earn the win for the Pirates, also aided by a solid play from her best friend Quiroz, who fired a bullet to erase a stolen base attempt of second in the bottom of the fourth inning. Gutierrez finished 2-for-4 at the plate with the home run, 3 RBIs and a run scored for San Pedro.

The Pirates continue play in the El Segundo Tournament on Saturday, then the big final week of the regular season where they will host Carson on May 3, and the finale on May 5 against Banning, also at San Pedro High.