Valdez, Richards Give Athenas Sweep of SCIAC Weekly Softball Awards

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Sophomore Maddie Valdez earned the SCIAC Softball Hitter of the Week Award, and freshman Lauren Richards earned the Pitcher of the Week honor, the league office announced today.

The Athenas earned the SCIAC awards sweep after starting out league play with a pair of tight wins over Chapman, winning the opening game 4-1 and the nightcap 3-1 on Saturday to start out 2-0 in league play. 

Valdez, who was 3-for-5 in the doubleheader, helped provide the win in the opening game when she drove a pitch over the left field fence to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie and sending CMS on to a 4-1 win. She also drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly, and had an RBI double in the nightcap to tie the score 1-1 in the third after Chapman scored the first run of the game in the second inning. 

Richards was the beneficiary of the RBI double from Valdez in the nightcap, after an early unearned run had given the Panthers a 1-0 lead. That was the only run she would allow, as she went the distance to get the complete game win, striking out nine and scattering seven hits. She also helped her own cause with an RBI triple in the fifth inning to break the 1-1 tie, and twice earned all three outs in an inning via strikeout, including in the sixth inning, before retiring the side in order in the seventh. 

CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it continues SCIAC play with a road doubleheader at Cal Lutheran, beginning at 12 p.m.