THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - With its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Post Season hopes hanging in the balance, Cal Lutheran got homeruns from Andrea Brackpool and Blake Lewis but Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swept the Regals 9-1 (five innings) and 10-7 Friday afternoon. Brackpool and Lewis combined for two homeruns, two doubles and three RBIs in game two but the Regals committed four errors and gave up seven unearned runs in the loss.
After a scoreless first inning in game one, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps grabbed the lead on back-to-back passed balls and a solo homerun from Mikayla O'Neal.
Cal Lutheran would scratch across a run in the bottom of the fourth when Stephanie Martello singled and then was brought home on a triple to left field from Danika Green.
Unfortunately, the Regals couldn't muster anymore offense and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning to seal the win.
CMS starting pitcher Hayley Schultz (12-3) earned the complete game win after pitching 5.0 innings and surrendering just four hits.
Katelyn Downing (5-7) was tagged with the loss after throwing 3.0 innings and allowing five runs on eight hits.
Green, Lewis, Martello and Kayla Sakamoto had the hits for the Regals in game one.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps took the lead in game two with a three-run homerun from Katie Savard in the top of the first.
The Regals countered however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to back-to-back RBI hits from Lewis and Kelly Lockwood.
CLU starting pitcher Courtney Sooy (9-6) escaped without any damage in the top of the second when she loaded the bases but got a lineout to Martello who then cut-down the runner at third for an inning-ending double play.
CMS scored in the top of the third to make it a 4-2 advantage before Lewis launched a two-run homerun, her second of the season to even the score.
Unfortunately for the Regals, a misplayed bases-loaded pop-up in the top of the fourth inning led to three unearned runs being scored and CMS taking a 7-4 advantage.
Cal Lutheran showed some resiliency by producing two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to one. Sooy reached on a single and then Liz Mertel walked to give CLU runners at first and second. In the next at-bat, Brackpool hit a grounder to the CMS shortstop who tried to get Sooy at third but the throw got away and allowed Sooy to score. Following that, Downing drove in Mertel with a sacrifice fly.
Sooy would keep the Athenas scoreless in the fifth and sixth before Brackpool pulled CLU even at 7-7 with a solo homerun in the bottom of the inning.
That's as close as the Regals would get however as CMS scored three more unearned runs off two errors in the top of seventh and sealed the win.
Cal Lutheran (19-15, 13-11 SCIAC) now controls its own destiny as it currently sits in fourth place. The Regals travel to face fifth-place Whittier on Saturday, April 19 in a doubleheader that will likely determine the final spot in the SCIAC Post Season Tournament. The first pitch of game one is set for noon.
Game 1 Box Score: CMS 9 CLU 1
Game 2 Box Score: CMS 10 CLU 7
CLU Twitter: https://twitter.com/clusports
Follow Taylor: @CLUSoftball
CLU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports
CLU Instagram: http://instagram.com/clusports#
