CLAREMONT, CA. – The Sagehens secured the series win over No. 15 Chapman University, falling 5–4 in extra innings in game one before bouncing back for a 4–2 victory in game two.
Season Impact: With the split, the Sagehens record is now to 12–16 overall and 5–4 in SCIAC play.
Game One
Sagehens 4, Chapman 5 (8 Innings)
The Sagehens tallied four runs on six hits. Natalie Murguia led the way, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk, while Marie Milton hit her first home run of the season. Gianna Phillips also contributed with an RBI knock, and Yuri Song set the tone at the top of the lineup, scoring twice and reaching base with a hit and a walk. Audrey Reimers started in the circle for the Sagehens pitching 6.1 innings and striking out three batters. Mia Lopez came in to pitch the final 1.2 innings striking out three Panthers as well.
The Sagehens jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, as Murguia delivered an RBI double before Phillips followed with an RBI single to give the Sagehens a 2–0 advantage. Chapman answered in the second with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2–1, but the Sagehens responded in the third when Murguia came through again with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3–1. The Sagehens added to its lead in the fourth inning on a solo home run from Marie Milton, pushing the score to 4–1. Chapman chipped away in the fifth with an unearned run to make it 4–2, but the Sagehens held firm through the middle innings to maintain the lead. The Panthers rallied late in the seventh, capitalizing on defensive miscues to score two unearned runs and tie the game at 4–4. In extra innings, Chapman continued to take advantage of errors, plating another unearned run in the eighth to take a 5–4 lead. The Sagehens had an opportunity in the bottom half of the inning, putting runners on from errors, but were unable to capitalize as Chapman held on to secure the 5–4 victory.
Game Two
Sagehens 4, Chapman 2
In game two, the Sagehens totaled six hits to earn the 4–2 win, with Audrey Reimers leading the way with a two-RBI performance including her first career home run. Yuri Song, Sadie Huryn, and Natalie Murguia each crossed the plate, while Gianna Phillips and Claire Sefkow added hits to round out the offense. In the circle, Ava Bautista earned the win after tossing six strong innings, allowing just two runs (none earned) while striking out five. Nyla Springer closed the door in the seventh, giving up just one hit to secure the save.
The Sagehens struck first in the opening inning as Song singled, stole second, and came around to score on an RBI groundout from Kylie Liu to take a 1–0 lead. The Sagehens added another in the third, capitalizing on a Chapman error that allowed Huryn to score and extend the lead to 2–0. Chapman responded in the fourth, using a pair of unearned runs to even the score at 2–2. However, Reimers answered immediately in the bottom half with a solo home run to left center, putting the Sagehens back on top, 3–2. After Chapman threatened in the fifth, the Sagehens held firm defensively before adding an insurance run in the sixth. Murguia doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Reimers, pushing the lead to 4–2. From there, Nyla Springer shut the door in the seventh, securing the 4–2 victory and the series win for the Sagehens.
Up Next: The Sagehens will take on Whittier College for game one of the three game series on the road. The game will be on April 10 at 3:00 PM.
