WHITTIER Calif. – Cal Lutheran softball completed its second SCIAC series sweep of the year at Whittier on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Poets 9-3 and 7-2 in a doubleheader.

The wins bring the Regals to 16-7 overall and 8-3 in conference play, ranking them alone at second place in the SCIAC standings.

GAME ONE: CAL LUTHERAN 9, WHITTIER 3
The Regals came out hot, putting up four runs in the top of the first. Back-to-back singles from Brooke DeSmet and Olivia Vargas opened up the inning, and Danielle Diaz rocked a double to left to score one. Jessica Waters followed up with a three-run blast to clear the bases.

The Poets fought back in the bottom of the second to cut their deficit to one run, but Waters immediately responded with her second homerun of the game. Mia Antonino added an RBI double in the frame to bring the score to 6-3.

A Whittier wild pitch brought home another Regal in the top of the fifth, and a pair of RBI from Vargas and Hanna Booth in the sixth blew the Poets out of the water.

GAME TWO: CAL LUTHERAN 7, WHITTIER 2
Whittier kicked off the series finale with a homerun in the bottom of the first before Cal Lu stole back the momentum to take the contest. Waters homered again to get the scoring started for the Regals in the second, followed by a two RBI knock from Abby Strong to make it a 3-1 ballgame.

Cal Lutheran exploded in the top of the sixth with a trio of hits from Antonino, Kalli Strahm, and DeSmet to extend its lead to six. Whittier answered with another homerun in the bottom of the seventh, but that would be the end of its comeback attempt as Strahm (3-1) shut down the rest of the lineup from the mound.

Strahm got the win and threw the complete game for the Regals, a career first for the sophomore.