THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Cal Lutheran softball delivered clutch at-bat after clutch at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning and Catherine Slabaugh finished it with a walk-off single as the Regals defeated Whittier in game two of a doubleheader, 7-6, on Saturday afternoon. 

Cal Lutheran (3-5, 1-5 SCIAC) started the inning down 6-3. After a pop up for the first out, junior Lauren Salvati started the rally with a single down the left field line. Junior Danielle Chatman followed it up with a double to left center and the Regals were in business with two runners in scoring position. 

Junior Kendall Marinesi cut the lead to one as she connected on a two-run RBI double to left field. She totaled four RBIs in all. Whittier then got the second out of the inning as the Poets looked to shut the Regals down. In the next at-bat, junior Jordan Vallejo worked the count in an amazing plate appearance as she drew a walk. Marinesi stole third during the at-bat and junior Brittany Workman then came in to pinch run for Vallejo.

The lone senior, Rachel Barker, kept the rally going as she hit a RBI single down the left field line. The hit scored Marinesi, to tie the game at 6, and advanced Workman to third. It all came down to Slabaugh. She came through with the RBI single as the Regals completed the comeback to take down the Poets.

Sophomore Meghan Henry pitched 6.1 solid innings and took home the win. Workman pitched the last 0.2 of the bottom of the seventh and struck out two batters. Marinesi hit a two-run homerun in the first inning for her third home run of the season.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Poets jumped all over the Regals and were up 6-1 after two innings. The Regals cut the lead to one in the third inning as Chatman and junior Sienna Vannoy both connected on their first home run with the Violet and Gold. Whittier recovered by scoring two runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings and held on to defeat the Regals 12-7.

The Regals are right back at it on Sunday. Cal Lutheran host non-conference opponent Manhattanville for a doubleheader at 12 and 2 p.m.  

Interview with Meghan Henry and Catherine Slabaugh:

Box Score: WC 12, CLU 7; CLU 7, WC 6
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director