CLAREMONT, Calif. - After 11 straight home games to start the season, the Cal Lutheran softball team left the confines of Hutton Field for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer. The Regals cruised to a 6-0 victory in game one and rallied in the seventh inning for a 7-6 win to complete the sweep on Saturday afternoon.
Courtney Sooy got the start in game one and was on a mission to lead CLU to victory. The sophomore pitched a complete game and allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out four to record the shutout. She also helped herself out at the plate with a bases loaded double in the top of the fourth to give the Regals a 3-0 lead.
Later in the fourth, Liz Mertel singled to score Mikaela Mayhew, who pinch ran for Sooy, and the Regals were off to a 4-0 lead. The Violet and Gold scored another run on an RBI single from Makenna Pellerin to score Ryanna Morua in the sixth, and Blake Lewis hit her second homerun in as many days to cap off the scoring in the seventh.
The Regals picked up right where they left off to start game two, taking an early 1-0 lead after Shonna Christianson singled to right field to score Christina Hunter.
The Sagehens answered back in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead but CLU would not be denied. RBI singles from B. Lewis and Pellerin and a multitude of Sagehen errors in the third and fourth inning helped the Regals jump ahead 5-3, but a three-run fourth inning from Pomona-Pitzer returned the advantage to the Hens.
Trailing by one run in the top of the seventh, Mertel smacked a game-tying RBI double to bring in Olivia Leyva. After Morua came in to pinch run for Mertel at second base, Taylor Beacham came up to the plate and hit a ground ball to third. After some indecision by the fielder and an errant throw to first, Morua came around for the winning run.
Sooy returned in game two to pitch four innings of relief and picked up her second win of the day. She allowed just two earned runs and struck out two while improving her record to 3-6. Christianson started game two for CLU and went three innings allowing three runs on seven hits.
Antonia Rapisardi went a combined 4-for-7 on the day and picked up two-hits in each game. The freshman shortstop now has two hits in all four of the Regals victories this year. Mertel also had a big day at the plate and finished 3-for-5.
Cal Lutheran (4-9, 4-3 SCIAC) will look to continue their road success with a doubleheader at La Verne this Friday, Feb. 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Box Score: CLU 6, PP 0
Box Score: CLU 7, PP 6
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