Softball Splits SCIAC Twin-Bill at Chapman

ORANGE, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team took Game One of Saturday's doubleheader with the Chapman Panthers by a score of 11-1. Kawai Scanlan (SC) went 4-4 at the plate and knocked in two. Reeve Grobecker also drove in a pair on three hits. Anna Gurr (CMC) allowed one earned run in seven innings while striking out five. The Panthers put up a fight in Game Two, taking the contest into extra innings before walking off in the bottom of the eighth for a 7-6 victory over the Athenas. Chloe Amarilla (CMC) collected three hits in the game. Maddie Valdez (CMC) had two doubles and two RBI.

Game One – CMS defeats Chapman 11-1

The Panthers got on the board first, scratching a run across in the home half of the first inning. They played small-ball after a leadoff base hit before another single brought in the Chapman run.

CMS evened the game in the top of the third. Grobecker used her speed to lead off the inning with a bunt single. A sacrifice bunt moved her into scoring position. Amarilla ripped a single to center, moving Grobecker to third before a Chapman error allowed her to score.

The Athenas took the lead in their next at-bat. Scanlan got things going with a base hit to left center and was knocked in by Valdez, putting CMS up 2-1.

Gurr sat the Panthers down in order in the bottom of the fourth, keeping the momentum up for CMS. She would hold them hitless for the rest of the game.

The top of the fifth saw six runs on seven hits for the Athenas, starting with a leadoff base hit from Molly Spaniac (CMC) who then advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Carly Roleder (CMC) reached on a bunt single and stole second, putting two in scoring position. Briana Halle (CMC) reached on a fielder's choice and both her and Roleder came around to score on a Scanlan triple, pushing the lead to 6-1.

Jessica Fox (CMC) kept the inning alive with a single up the middle and both runners came home on a base hit from Kylie Hetzel (HMC), scoring the fifth and sixth runs of the inning to push the Athenas' advantage to 8-1.

Megan Mendez (CMC) and Rachel Perley (HMC) strung together back-to-back singles in the top of the seventh and both advanced on a wild pitch. Mendez scored on an error that allowed Amarilla to reach. Roleder and Halle then went back-to-back with singles of their own, each plating a run to give CMS an 11-1 victory.

Game Two – Chapman defeats CMS 7-6

It was the Athenas who struck firs in Game Two, putting up two runs in the top of the second. Halle led off the inning with a single to left and advanced on an error by the left fielder. Scanlan stayed hot at the plate, knocking in Halle with an RBI single up the middle. Valdez followed up with a double to plate Sanlan and give CMS a 2-0 lead.

Amarilla got the start in the circle in the second half of the twin bill and sat the Panthers down in order through the first two innings.

The Panthers evened things up in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of two free passes and an error.

Chapman took a 4-2 lead in the sixth, plating two on three hits. Gurr took over on the mound after the leadoff batter reached on an error. Gurr induced two groundouts, but three-straight singles brought in two runs for the Panthers.

The top of the seventh was productive for CMS. Fox and Amarilla both singled with one out and advanced on a groundout. Spaniac singled to right, knocking in Fox before an error by the right fielder brought in Amarilla to tie the game 4-4.

The Panthers could not respond in the bottom of inning, forcing extras.

Roleder wore a pitch to lead off the top of the eighth and Halle reached on a bunt single. Valdez doubled, scoring Roleder. Halle then scored on a ball hit by Fox to give the Athenas a 6-4 advantage.

Chapman walked it off in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three on three hits for a final of 7-6.

Gurr suffered the loss, falling to 3-3 on the season. Amarilla went five innings, striking out two and allowing one earned run.

The Athenas head to Tucson, Ariz. on March 2 to begin the 2018 Leadoff Classic. CMS will take on St. Catherine and Otterbein on Day One at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively.