LA VERNE, Ca. – The Pomona-Pitzer softball team split their doubleheader with the Leopards on Tuesday evening, dropping game one 4-2 before taking game two 2-1 to take the three game series against the Leopards. The Sagehens are now 13-16 on the season and 5-7 in conference play. Pomona-Pitzer will travel to Cal Lutheran on Friday, April 19th at 3:00 p.m. before returning to Claremont to host the Regals on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Pomona-Pitzer 2, La Verne 4
The Sagehens got off to a quick start in game one, scoring two runs in the first inning with two hits.
Devin Waddell started the game with a single to left center before advancing to second after
Summer Gibson's sacrifice bunt.
Bella Carreon walked to put runners on first and second but was later out at second with
Kylie Liu reaching on a fielding error, putting runners on first and third as Waddell moved over on the play. After
Brooke Bullis was hit by the pitch,
Emily Hurtado hit a two-RBI double to left field with bases loaded, bringing in two runs for the Sagehens.
The Leopards were able to respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, scoring on a two-RBI double to tie things at 2-2. La Verne later took the lead in the third inning, using an RBI single through the left side to make it 3-2. The Sagehens allowed another Leopards run in the fourth inning after a sacrifice fly made it 4-2.
The Sagehens started the fifth inning with a single from
Summer Gibson and a sacrifice bunt from
Bella Carreon to put Gibson to second. A
Kylie Liu single to left put runners on first and third with
Brooke Bullis later loading the bases with a hard hit single that hit the Leopards pitcher. Unfortunately, a fielder's choice ball had Gibson out at a home for two outs.
Morgan Groves hit a hard ball to third base but was fielded cleanly as the Leopards worked out of the bases loaded situation to preserve the 4-2 lead over Pomona-Pitzer. The Sagehens had one final chance to score in the top of the seventh after finding themselves with runners on second and third but a groundball to second ended up being a double play as the Leopards completed a successful rundown at second to win game one 4-2.
Pomona-Pitzer 2, La Verne 1
The Sagehens struck first in game two, using an error and a sacrifice bunt from
Summer Gibson to bring home
Devin Waddell who advanced to third on the bunt and later scored following a fielding error, giving Pomona-Pitzer the 1-0 lead. Both teams went scoreless through the third inning with the Sagehens scoring once more in the fourth inning after
Marie Milton earned an RBI walk to bring in
Natalie Murguia and make it 2-0.
La Verne cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth inning with an RBI single to center field. Pomona-Pitzer tried to add insurance in the sixth with
Natalie Murguia starting the inning with a single through the right side and advancing to second after a sacrifice bunt from
Lauren Ziment. A single from
Claire Sefkow put runners on first and second but a line out and ground out left both stranded with the Sagehens leading 2-1.
La Verne started the bottom of the sixth with a walk, prompting the Sagehens to bring in
Nyla Springer to close out the game. Springer forced a line out bunt to first before the Sagehens earned their second out one a fielder's choice ball, getting the lead runner to keep just one Leopard at first. From there, a walk and a fielding error loaded the bases for the Leopards, putting the pressure on Pomona-Pitzer. Fortunately, the Sagehens found the groundout they needed to end the threat and head to the seventh inning leading 2-1.
Pomona-Pitzer recorded one hit off the bat of
Kylie Liu in the top of the seventh but Springer held the Leopards to one hit as well in the bottom of the inning, sealing the Sagehens 2-1 victory in game two.
