THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The second Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series of the spring pitted the Cal Lutheran softball team against the La Verne Leopards. The Regals were not dismayed by a travel glitch that pushed the start time back as the home team took game one 7-2 and followed with a 5-2 victory to remain unbeaten in 2014.
Katelyn Downing aided her own cause in the first game, reaching base in all four appearances, going 3-for-4 with a double and scoring the ultimate winning run as part of a five run fourth inning. Overall, the senior hurler improved her record in the circle to 2-0 with three strike outs without issuing a walk. In the seventh inning Downing threw three pitches to retire the Leos and put the game in the books.
A two-run bottom of the first featured an RBI double from Blake Lewis and a run-scoring single from Danika Green to give CLU a quick 2-0 advantage.
The lead held until the fourth inning when Raven Freret knotted the teams with one swing of the bat, scoring Danielle Vela and Breanna De La Rosa, after each reached base without an out prior to Freret's double to left centerfield.
Just as quickly as the lead slipped away, Downing sparked a come-back in the bottom of the frame with a bunt single for a hit. She came around to score on an Andrea Brackpool fly ball that was dropped in the outfield. Lewis and Shonna Christianson each recorded infield RBI hits in the inning and Liz Mertel drove in a pair with a line-drive up the middle for some insurance runs.
In game two, CLU freshman Courtney Sooy faced just three batters over the minimum through 6.0 innings en route to her fourth win of the year. In a complete game, she scattered two hits while striking out four. The only miscue came in the top of the seventh when Melissa Sponh connected for a two-RBI double to get LV on the board.
The Regals bats continued to produce with seven hits in the second game. Sooy helped herself, just as Downing did in game one, tripling and scoring in the sixth inning on a single by Mertel. The Violet and Gold put up their first crooked number in the third with a pair of runs. In the bottom of the fourth Mertel and Downing each notched RBI singles, scoring Christina Hunter and Green, respectively.
La Verne (2-6, 2-2 SCIAC) saw its conference record evened today. Hayley Jaquess (1-3) and Lindsay Godwin (1-1) were each tagged with a loss today for the Leos.
Cal Lutheran (8-0, 4 -0 SCIAC) returns to the diamond on Saturday, March 1 with first pitch against Redlands scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Hutton Field.
Box Score: CLU 7, LV 2
Box Score: CLU 5, LV 2
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