CLAREMONT, Calif. - This afternoon on the road the Cal Lutheran softball team salvaged a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) split with No. 19 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, shutting out the Athenas 2-0 in the night cap after falling 6-1 in the series opener.
In the first game, CLU collected just four hits with both Shonna Christianson and Brittany Labbe doubling and Christina Hunter and Blake Lewis singling. In the top of the seventh, two of those hits came in back-to-back at-bats with Christianson driving in Lewis for the lone Regals run of the contest, as the six-run deficit was too much for the Violet and Gold to overcome.
Katelyn Downing (4-9) was tagged with the loss in a complete game, 6.0 inning, effort in which she struck out a pair. Hayley Schultz (15-3) earned the win for CMS.
The second game belonged to the Regals though they were outhit nine to six. CLU made the six count while the defense played errorless softball and Christianson worked out of bases loaded jams in both the fourth and fifth innings to preserve the shutout.
CLU put up a crooked number in the top of the second on four consecutive hits from Lewis, Christianson, Debben Hoffer and Liz Mertel with the final hit plating Lewis with the ultimate winning run.
The victory did not come easily as CMS battled. With one out in the fourth, the Athenas loaded the bags on a pair of singles and a hit batter, but Christianson remained focused, getting a strike out and ground ball to second baseman Ryanna Morua to end the threat.
An inning later, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps put three on again by way of two hits and a walk, but again Christianson squashed the opportunity by forcing a fly ball to Kayla Sakamoto in left centerfield for the final out of the frame.
In the top of the seventh the Regals would push one more run across the plate with Kelly Lockwood scoring when Labbe reached on an error.
Christianson (4-5) struck out three in her first shutout of the season.
Overall today Hunter and Sakamoto were each perfect in the field with eight putouts. Tinsley was also errorless behind the plate with seven putouts and a pair of assists, including a caught stealing. Lockwood was on the other end of that play as she finished with five putouts and four assists at shortstop.
Offensively, Christianson was 2-for-5 with a walk and an RBI and Lewis was 2-for-6 with a pair of runs. Mertel had an RBI and Lockwood scored a run.
Cal Lutheran (10-18, 5-13) will be on the road at Occidental (11-19, 2-16) for a pair tomorrow at Bell Field. First pitch is set for noon.
Game 1: CMS 6, CLU 1
Game 2: CLU 2, CMS 0
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