CLAREMONT, Calif.— The Cal Lutheran softball team faced No. 10 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday and almost pulled off the upset in game two, but the Athenas escaped with a 4-3 win. CMS took the first game 17-2.
The Regals were looking for their second top-10 win of the season, but late scoring from the Athenas allowed a comeback. CLU's top-10 win came when the Regals defeated then-No. 10 Williams, 6-5, on March 19.
Kendall Marinesi smashed a two-run homer in the second game, giving her eight on the year. The eight home runs are tied for the 12th-most in the nation. In school history, it is the sixth-most in a season.
Game One
The Regals started Sammy Edmonds and also pitched Meghan Henry. Both pitchers went 2.0 innings. Edmonds took the loss (1-1) as she gave up nine hits, 11 runs, with eight being earned, and three walks.
Henry also had a tough outing against a very good CMS team. The Athenas tallied seven hits and six runs, with four of those being earned.
CMS scored one run in the first inning and took a big lead after scoring 10 runs in the second. They added four runs in the third before CLU got on the board. The Regals scored one run off a wild pitch and Celeste Ekman drove in the other in the fourth. The CLU bats faced a tough competitor on the mound and could only tally four hits and the two runs as they fell 17-2.
Game Two
Olivia Serrano took to the mound and tried to get the split for the Regals. Through four innings, Serrano only allowed five base hits and struck out five batters.
Cal Lutheran scored first in the second game as Lexie Findley reached on an error in the top of the fourth, scoring Ekman. The Regals added on to their lead in the top of the fifth as Marinesi hit a two-run homer to right field.
CMS got to Serrano in the bottom of the inning and tied up the game at three. With Brittany Workman in for the bottom of the sixth, the Athenas took a 4-3 lead, with one inning to go. CLU saw two quick outs go in the top of the seventh, as their hoped of an upset came down to one final out. After back-to-back walks, CMS finally got out of the inning and escaped with the 4-3 win.
Cal Lutheran (8-22, 2-16 SCIAC) returns home for a doubleheader. The Regals welcome the Chapman Panthers for a doubleheader on Friday at 2 and 4 p.m.
Box Score: CMS 17, CLU 2; CMS 4, CLU 3
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
