LA VERNE, CA — Freshman pitcher
Briana Vasquez picked up her fourth win of the season as the University of La Verne softball team split their doubleheader against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas, taking game one 3-1 but dropping game two 11-3 in six innings.
Game One: La Verne, 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 1
Game one was a classic pitcher's duel between Vasquez and CMS senior starter Maya Weigel-Murphy. Vasquez pitched a complete game, improved her record to 4-2, and only allowed one run on nine hits. Weigel-Murphy took the loss for CMS, tossing six innings and giving up three runs on nine hits.
The Athenas struck first when senior first baseman Madi Gonzalez doubled to right center to begin the top of the fourth inning. Senior Sophia Nguyen ran for Gonzalez, advancing on a fly out, and found her way home when freshman catcher Brooke Goodman singled up the middle to give CMS a 1-0 lead.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, freshman first baseman Reagan Hallet and junior catcher
Ava Chacon hit consecutive singles to bring up pinch hitter freshman
Aries Alonso. Chacon was called out at second base, but Alonso reached on the fielder's choice to bring up pinch hitter junior
Mariah Ruiz. She singled through the right side, evening the score at 1-1 as Hallet crossed home plate.
Freshman shortstop
Mackenzie Johnson followed the single with a walk to load the bases for senior lead-off hitter and left fielder
Angelina Alderete. The lefty capitalized on the Leopards' opportunity, hitting a single up the middle and driving in two runs to give La Verne a 3-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning.
A double play and Vasquez strikeout sealed the win.
Game Two: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 11, La Verne 3 (Six Innings)
The Leopards couldn't keep their momentum going into game two of the doubleheader. Already up 1-0 in the top of the first, CMS freshman shortstop Dani Sterling hit a home run over the left field fence to extend the Athenas' lead to 4-0.
La Verne gained one back in their half of the first inning when Alderete hit a leadoff single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly hit by senior designated player
Alyssa Campbell. But the Athenas were aggressive at the plate, going up 9-1 by the third inning.
La Verne pieced together two more runs off two hits and two walks in the bottom of the fifth, but Claremont quickly responded, scoring another two to cushion their lead in the top of the sixth.
Season Impact
With the doubleheader split, La Verne goes 9-6 overall and 3-2 in SCIAC play. They will return to action at Campus West on Monday at 3 p.m. when they host the Whitworth University Pirates for a doubleheader.
