CLAREMONT, Calif. - The softball team suffered a pair of losses at the hands of the Sagehens in a conference double header at Pomona-Pitzer today. CLU was shut out in a six inning game one by an 8-0 margin, before dropping a close game two 5-4.
Box Score (Game 1): PP 8, CLU 0 - F/6
Box Score (Game 2): PP 5, CLU 4 - F
The Regals combined for just three hits in the series opener while PP knocked CLU pitchers around for 12 hits and the CLU defense committed four errors.
Sarah Lichtsinn collected a fifth inning double after Danika Green walked, but both were stranded. Kayla Sakamoto led off the game with an infield hit and stole second. Brittany Labbe had the other CLU hit with a single to the left side.
PP broke the scoreless tie in the fourth with four runs on five hits and added three more runs in the fifth, two of which were unearned. The Sagehens added their eighth run in the sixth via a homerun to end the contest.
Nicolby Atallah (3-8) was tagged with the loss.
In game two Cal Lutheran out-hit PP 12 to 10.
The Regals were at an early disadvantage, however, as PP scored three times in the bottom of the first, adding a fourth run in the second.
CLU got on the board in the third. Alex Templin singled to lead off the inning and Katelyn Downing drove her in. The Regals chipped away more in the top of the fourth as Shannon Tinsley started the inning off with a single. Lichtsinn reached on an error setting up Sakamoto and Kathleen Watson-Otani for back-to-back RBI singles.
The Regals went on to knot things in the seventh on a Templin RBI single, scoring Labbe, who drew a leadoff walk and forced Pomona-Pitzer's starting pitcher from the circle.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the home squad used a seventh inning rally for the walk-off-win. A single to start it was followed by a sacrifice bunt and another single to center pushed the winning run across the board for the Sagehens.
Downing (3-11) threw all 6.1 innings, striking out a pair.
Watson-Otani was 3-for-4 and each Sakamoto, Tinsley and Templin collected two hits apiece.
Cal Lutheran (8-20) will be on the road again next Saturday, March 31 when they travel to Redlands to take on the No. 9 Bulldogs with the double header beginning at noon.
