THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran softball team came close to taking down No. 17 Linfield on Friday afternoon, but the Wildcats picked up a 4-1 victory in game one and a comeback 9-6 win in extra innings to complete the sweep at Hutton Field.
In game one, starting pitcher Courtney Sooy found herself in trouble in the top of the second after walking three straight to load the bases. The next Linfield batter hit a shot to third base that was too hot to handle giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. Sooy struck out the next batter for the second out but Maddy Dunn came up with a pinch-hit two-RBI single to give Linfield a 3-0 lead.
Blake Lewis recorded the first hit of the game for the Regals in the bottom of the second, but two groundouts and a strikeout ended the inning. Antonia Rapisardi led off the bottom of the third with a double over the right fielder's head and advanced to third after a groundout by Makenna Pellerin. With two outs, Christina Hunter hit a soft line drive up the middle but the shortstop snagged it for the out.
CLU finally got on the board in the fifth inning after Taylor Beacham led off with a double down the right field line. Jacy Watanabe came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a groundout by Rapisardi. With two outs, Pellerin came through with a single to right field to bring Watanabe home and make the score 3-1.
The Wildcats scraped across another run in the sixth to extend their lead to 4-1 and they set the Regals down in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure a win in game one.
Sooy pitched her fifth complete game this season and allowed four earned runs and five hits. She racked up five strikeouts in the game but also walked five.
Linfield opened up game two with back-to-back singles and a CLU miscue allowed both runners to score to give the Wildcats an early 2-0 lead. Starting pitcher Shonna Christianson regrouped and got the next three wildcats out in order to get out of the jam.
In the bottom of the second, the Regals threatened with runners in scoring position after a double from Christianson and a single from Liz Mertel. The Wildcats defense, however, came up with a big play as the second basemen made a leaping catch to rob Rapisardi of a two-RBI base hit and end the inning.
Christianson allowed a double to lead off the third but she retired the next three batters in a row to keep the Wildcats offense at bay.
B. Lewis continued her torrid hitting in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI double bringing in Hunter who reached on a base hit earlier in the inning. Leyva came up and smoked a single through the right side to bring home B. Lewis to tie the game and Christianson tripled home Leyva to give CLU a 3-2 lead.
In the fifth, B. Lewis picked up her fifth hit of the day with a towering two-run homerun to dead center, extending the Regals lead to 5-2.
Their lead was short lived as the Wildcats rallied for three runs and tied the score at 5-5. With one out and a runner on third, Linfield hit a fly ball to left field just deep enough to bring in the tying run.
Looking for a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh, Amanda Lewis singled and B. Lewis drew a walk to put runners on first and second for CLU. The Regals left the runners stranded after a strikeout ended the inning and sent the game into extras.
In the eighth inning, Linfield exploded for two, two-run homeruns to jump ahead 9-5. CLU would add a run in the bottom of the eighth via an RBI single from Mertel but the damage had been done and the Wildcats secured the sweep.
Christianson had a strong outing in the circle in game two, going seven innings and allowing just three earned runs while striking out two. She helped herself out at the plate on multiple occasions and finished 3-for-4 with an RBI.
B. Lewis had a phenomenal day at the plate and finished a combined 5-for-6 with a homerun, three RBIs, a double, two runs scored and a walk. Hunter reached base in all three of her at bats and scored two runs in game two.
Cal Lutheran (2-8) will return to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action tomorrow, Feb. 21 for their road doubleheader of the season at Pomona-Pitzer. Game one is slated for 12:00 p.m.
Box Score: LIN 4, CLU 1
Box Score: LIN 9, CLU 6 (8)
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