EAGLE ROCK, Calif. – Cal Lutheran softball saw its 2026 season come to a close on Saturday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Occidental at Bell Field.
The Regals appeared poised to salvage the series in game one, but a late rally from the Tigers flipped the script in a 6-5 loss before Cal Lu was held to just three hits in a 4-0 defeat in the finale.
GAME ONE: OCCIDENTAL 6, CAL LUTHERAN 5
Game one was a back-and-forth battle that CLU ultimately let slip away in the final inning.
After falling behind 1-0, the Regals responded with three unanswered runs, highlighted by RBI knocks from
Brooke Strahm and
Reyna Perez along with a sacrifice fly from
Samantha Swerdloff to take a 3-1 lead.
Oxy chipped away to make it 3-2, but Cal Lu created separation again in the seventh.
Mia Reveles delivered an RBI double and later scored as the Regals capitalized on a defensive miscue to extend the lead to 5-2 with just three outs to go.
However, the Tigers had the final answer. Oxy strung together four runs in the bottom half of the inning, using a triple, timely contact, and a two-run double to walk off with the 6-5 win. The late surge erased what had been a strong offensive showing for the Regals, who totaled 12 hits in the contest.
Reveles led the way with a 4-for-5 performance, while Perez and
Danielle Diaz each added multi-hit efforts. Strahm also contributed two hits and an RBI.
GAME TWO: OCCIDENTAL 4, CAL LUTHERAN 0
In game two, offense proved difficult to come by for Cal Lutheran. The Regals managed just three hits and were unable to generate sustained pressure against Occidental's pitching.
Oxy struck first in the second inning and gradually added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to build a 4-0 advantage. CLU's best opportunity came in the seventh when a pair of baserunners reached, but the Tigers worked out of the jam to secure the shutout.
Jessica Waters and Strahm each recorded hits in the finale, while Reveles added the team's third.
SEASON RECAP
Cal Lutheran concludes the season with a 14-23 overall record and a 6-15 SCIAC mark under the leadership of Head Coach Kecia Davis, who coached the Regals to their best season in recent history just last year.
Saturday also marked the final collegiate game for lone senior
Ally Forbell, who wrapped up her CLU career after contributing to the pitching staff for three seasons.
Despite the difficult finish, Cal Lutheran is expected to return a strong core in 2027 with a loaded rising senior class and a group of underclassmen that gained valuable experience throughout this year's campaign.
