CMS Softball Splits Two With Whitworth on Opening Day

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team took a 7-2 win over Whitworth in the opening game of a doubleheader on Friday at Athena Field, before the Pirates came from behind for a 7-3, nine-inning win in the nightcap as the two teams split their opening day doubleheader.

The team that jumped out to a first inning lead lost both games, as Whitworth took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the opener, before CMS came back with the next seven runs to win it. In the nightcap, the Athenas took a 3-0 lead on a three-run double from sophomore Megan Perron, but Whitworth tied it in the seventh 3-3 and then scored four times in the ninth after the inning began with a runner on second due to the international tiebreaker rule. 

Sophomore outfielder Molly Spaniac went 2-for-4 in both games for the Athenas, including a two-out, two-run double to key a five-run fourth inning in the opener. Senior Chloe Amarilla went the distance to get the win in the circle in the opener, and added a double and a triple at the plate in the nightcap.  

After Whitworth took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when CMS was unable to get the out in a rundown between second and third, the Athenas responded with five runs in the fourth. Sophomore Kawai Scanlan had an RBI groundout to second to bring home the first run, and sophomore Rachel Perley followed with a double to center field to tie it. Amarilla forced home the go-ahead run with a bases loaded walk and Spaniac followed with a double in the right-center field gap to plate two runs. 

SB: Athenas take the lead! Spaniac with a two-run, two-out double to make it 5-2 CMS going to the fifth. pic.twitter.com/Nx1e2afD1L

— CMS Athletics (@AthleticsCMS) February 8, 2019

Senior Maddie Valdez led off the fifth inning with the first home run of the year for the Athenas, and junior Kylie Hetzel added an RBI single, scoring freshman Ananya Koneti all the way from first, who kept sprinting around the bases on a hit and run and beat the throw to the plate. 

Amarilla allowed only three hits over her seven innings, throwing an even 100 pitches while striking out four batters to get the complete-game win. 

CMS kept the momentum going in the second game, as Amarilla led off with a double, and after a pair of errors loaded the bases, Perron plated them all with a double into the right-center field gap. 

SB: The bases WERE loaded! Megan Perron cleans them up with this three-run, two-out double as CMS takes a 3-0 lead after one inning of play. Athenas took game one 7-2. pic.twitter.com/sLYgxSrLE9

— CMS Athletics (@AthleticsCMS) February 8, 2019

The Pirates got one run back in the first inning on a bases-loaded grounder to first which resulted in a bang-bang play at the plate, but the runner was called safe. Morgan Portlock then tripled in the fourth inning and came home on a wild pitch to make the score 3-2. 

That lead held going into the seventh, but a bases-loaded walk forced in an unearned run to tie it with two outs, before Amarilla came on in relief to leave the bases loaded as Scanlan made a lunging catch in shallow center. After neither team scored in the eighth, the game went to the international tiebreaker format with a runner placed on second. After the Pirates plated that runner to make it 4-3, Portlock hit a three-run double to break it open. 

Freshman Lauren Richards was solid in her collegiate debut, allowing four hits over 6.2 innings and striking out five, but she ended up with the no-decision. 

CMS will be back in action on Friday when it takes on Vanguard for a 12 p.m. doubleheader.