Sophomore Megan Perron had four RBI in the first game of a doubleheader sweep for CMS
Sophomore Megan Perron had four RBI in the first game of a doubleheader sweep for CMS

CMS Softball Moves to 4-0 in SCIAC with Dominant Road Sweep of Cal Lutheran

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team started out its SCIAC schedule with its second straight doubleheader sweep, tallying 19 runs total in 9-6 and 10-0 wins over Cal Lutheran on Saturday afternoon.

With the wins, CMS now stands at 5-2 overall on the year, including 4-0 in conference play. Cal Lutheran falls to 0-4, all in conference games. 

CMS looked like it might cruise to a run-rule win in the opener, pulling ahead 9-0 in the fifth, but the Athenas had to hold off the Regals for the 9-6 win. They took no chances in the second game, finishing off the 10-0 win in five innings. 

Sophomore designated player Megan Perron had a big day at the plate in the opener for CMS, driving in four runs and hitting 2-for-4. Sophomore catcher Maddie Valdez was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the nightcap, while freshman Lauren Richards threw a four-hit shutout. 

The opener was a 0-0 tie until the fourth inning, when Perron came through with a two-run single with the bases loaded to put the Athenas on the board. Senior outfielder Rachel Perley then followed with a two-run double to make it a 4-0 lead. 

CMS tacked on five more runs in the fifth to pull ahead 9-0. After a run scored on an error, Richards had an RBI single and Valdez followed with an RBI triple. Perron then doubled to right-center to score two runs and cap off her four-RBI effort. 

Cal Lutheran clawed back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to prolong the game, then scored three more in the sixth. Senior pitcher Chloe Amarilla, who allowed no earned runs on two hits over 6.1 innings of work, came out of the circle to start the sixth but went back in when the Athenas got in trouble, retiring the final two batters and then getting the side in order in the seventh to finish it. 

The Athenas started quicker in the second game, picking up four runs in the top of the second, as Perley doubled in a run, Amarilla followed with an RBI single, and sophomore outfielder Molly Spaniac added a two-run single. Amarilla and Spaniac each picked up RBIs in a three run- third, before a Richards single and a Valdez two-run homer in the fifth made the score 10-0. 

Amarilla was 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI, while Spaniac was 2-for-3 with three RBI and Perley was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Richards improved to 2-0 on the year with her first collegiate shutout. 

CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts Pomona-Pitzer in another SCIAC doubleheader at Athena Field.