THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran softball unleashed 28 hits across two games to sweep the Whitworth Pirates on Sunday and extend its winning streak to six.
GAME ONE: CAL LUTHERAN 10, WHITWORTH 4
Kalli Strahm (2-0) started on the mound for the Regals and held the Pirates scoreless through her first three innings of work, allowing the offense to get out to an early 3-0 lead.
Jessica Waters got the party started with an RBI single, followed by a Whitworth wild pitch that would allow
Olivia Vargas to cross home. In the bottom of the third, Dani Diaz tacked on another run with a base hit to right center.
The Pirates responded with one run on two hits in the top of the fourth inning, but Cal Lutheran fired away with four hits in the next frame to score three, making it a 6-1 ballgame. First-year catcher
Rylee Carrillo shined with an RBI double.
In the top of the fifth, Whitworth made one more attempt at a comeback with a single, a double, and a sac fly that cut the deficit to just two runs. However, the Regals' bats stayed hot as they piled on four more insurance runs going into the seventh, and
Ashlyn Flinchum shut the Pirates down out of the bullpen.
Eight different Regals recorded a hit in the opener, led by
Brooke DeSmet and Vargas who were both 3-4. Diaz, Waters, and Carrillo also had a multi-hit game.
GAME TWO: CAL LUTHERAN 9, WHITWORTH 1 (6 INN.)
It was smooth sailing for Cal Lutheran in the nightcap as the Regals mercy-ruled their fourth opponent of the season.
Olivia Oergel (2-0) got the start and threw five scoreless innings for her second win of the year.
Mia Antonino blasted a two-run double to get the Regals on the board first in the top of the third. A series of Whitworth errors and another Waters base hit would bring the score to 6-0 going into the sixth inning.
The Pirates would score just one run of their own before Cal Lutheran bombarded them with three runs on four hits to take the game.
Reyna Perez had herself a day, going 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI. DeSmet, Diaz, Antonino, and Anna Chavez also added a two-bagger each for a season-high six doubles as a team.
