With only two returning starters from last season’s highly-successful team, East L.A. College women’s softball coach Erika Blanco had concerns about the Huskies’ lack of experience going into the 2010 season.

But it didn’t take long for the Huskies to ease Blanco’s fears.

They quickly came together by making an impressive showing at the Glendale Tournament, capping it with a 5-4 victory over Long Beach City in the championship game. ELAC is currently 6-0.

ELAC opened the three-day tourney with victories over San Diego City (6-2) and Imperial Valley (9-0) Jan. 29. The Huskies defeated Antelope Valley (8-3) and Glendale (9-2) the next day.

They beat Cerritos College, 6-5 Sunday to advance to the finals against Long Beach.

“We have seven first-year players and I was a little concerned that we would come out nervous, but we came out really confident and relaxed, and played really well,” Blanco said. “We didn’t press.”

The Huskies rallied from a 4-0 deficit to push the title game into extra innings. They scored the tying run in the seventh after scoring three in the fifth.

The extra inning was played under the international tie-breaker format.

Stephanie Torres, who had made the final out of the seventh, was the Huskies’ baserunner at second base in the eighth.

After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Rene Ramirez, she scored the game-winner on a single by Montebello High School grad Samantha Montiel.

In the fifth inning, pitcher Kaylin Armenta singled, Vanessa Abeyta walked and Katrina Castaneda singled to load the bases. Singles by Monica Robles and Torres scored runs and Elizabeth Lopez drove in another with a sacrifice fly.

Lopez singled to drive in the tying run in the seventh, which Danielle Lugo, a Schurr High product, led off with a pinch-hit single.

Armenta, making her first start of the season, got the victory.

Montiel keyed the victory over Cerritos with a three-run double in a five-run fifth. Starter Melissa Rubio recorded her recorded fourth victory.

“Obviously, we’re excited about the way we’ve started the season, but we have a lot of season left and we have to continue to work to get better and elevate our game,” Blanco said. “We don’want to drop our guard.”

ELAC hosts Moorpark Thursday in a nonconference game. The Huskies then travel to Santa Ana Feb. 8 and return home to take on El Camino Feb.9 to open South Coast Conference play. All games start at 3 p.m.