THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - For the second straight day, the Cal Lutheran softball team took the field in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series. After playing just one of two scheduled games on Saturday before the rain rolled in, the Regals hosted 10-time defending league champion and currently No. 23 Redlands for two on Sunday, taking down the Bulldogs 11-10 in the first game and 12-4, by mercy in five innings, in the second.
After a 0-5 start to the season, the Regals showed what they are capable of on the diamond today as they batted .517 as a team with 28 hits and 23 runs against ranked Redlands according to the Jan. 28 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll.
In a historic day, the Violet and Gold swept the Maroon and Gray for the first time since the SCIAC went to two sets of doubleheaders in a season, which was implemented in 2006. Prior to that, CLU took two of three from UR in 2003 and earned a sweep in 2000, also defeating the Bulldogs in a tournament that season.
The freshmen trio of Olivia Leyva, Makenna Pellerin and Antonia Rapisardi teamed up for 15 hits, nine runs and eight RBIs during the doubleheader. Leyva led the way, going 5-for-7 with Pellerin finishing 6-for-9 and Rapisardi recording a 4-for-7 day at the dish. The three extra base hits, all doubles, came off the bats of Taylor Beacham, Amanda Lewis and Liz Mertel. A. Lewis shared the day-high with four runs scored to match Leyva.
The defense was also much more sound than it has been with just three miscues all day. A double play ended the first game, at the plate nonetheless, and a number of diving stops took place throughout the 12 innings of action today.
The first game was a battle of cat and mouse as the teams exchanged runs through the first four frames. In the fifth, trailing 5-3, CLU exploded for five runs on five hits and a pair of UR errors. After adding three more to their tally in the sixth, the Regals seemingly seized control of the contest, but the Bulldogs came back and made some late noise by matching the CLU fifth inning showing in the top of the seventh with five runs on five hits with help from one Cal Lutheran miscue. The play that ended it all was a highlight reel worthy double play. Starting pitcher Courtney Sooy fielded a ball lined back at her, went to Christina Hunter at first and Beachamblocked the plate, catching the throw and laying down a perfectly executed tag at the plate for the final out of the game.
With their first significant cushion of the season, the Regals seemingly settled down and it showed with a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning in which Sooy (1-3) forced a trio of ground ball outs en route to the victory. The sophomore hurler picked up her first win of the year by striking out five over 7.0 innings.
In the nightcap, it was a nearly identical performance from the home team as the Regals joined up for 14 hits and 12 runs in the inning shortened game. CLU took a 9-0 lead after scoring four runs in the first, three in the second and a trio in the third while Shonna Christianson faced two batters over the minimum in the first three frames.
UR found a spark in the fourth, sending eight women to the plate, scoring three on four hits, though Christianson shut the door with a pair in scoring position on a called third strike, her only K of the day, to end the threat of more. Redlands tacked on an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but that was all they would get as Christianson notched her first win of the year in a complete game.
CLU responded in the bottom of the fifth to end the contest early. Christina Hunter led off with a single and A. Lewis reached on an error before Blake Lewis drove in Hunter. Another fielding error by Redlands allowed Leyva to reach and A. Lewis to cross the plate. Coming off the bench, Emily Manwell got the nod for her collegiate debut and came through in the clutch with the game-winning RBI.
Redlands (1-3, 0-2 SCIAC) collected 17 total hits with Vicki King recording four to drive in two and she also scored once. Dani Santos totaled four RBIs and the only two extra base hits came from Lali Garza and AJ Carrasco.
Cal Lutheran (2-5, 2-1) will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 14 when the Regals host La Verne for a pair of games at Hutton Field with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
Box Score: CLU 11, UR 10
Box Score: CLU 12, UR 4 (5)
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