CMS Softball Sweeps Doubleheader from League-Leading Chapman

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Lauren Richards threw a complete-game one-hit shutout in the nightcap as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team took two games from 20th-ranked Chapman, 6-1 and 2-0, on Saturday afternoon at Athena Field to win the series from the Panthers.

With the win, CMS improves to 12-6 in league play, and pulls even with Chapman (10-5) in winning percentage, after the Panthers came into the weekend 9-3 and won the series opener at home yesterday. Redlands moved into first at 13-5 with a three-game sweep of La Verne. 

Jade Johnson went the distance in the opener to get the win, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run. That run came in the top of the first on a fielder's choice, but the Athenas responded with four in the bottom half, as Emily Nutting put CMS ahead to stay with a two-run double. Paige Zimmerman then followed with a triple, and Kristin LeBlanc singled her home to make it a 4-1 game. 

CMS tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Abby Thompson had an RBI single to score Ananya Koneti, and Lauren Richards came home on the back end of a double steal attempt after Sophia Nguyen was caught at second. 

LeBlanc and Zimmerman each went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Richards was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. 

In the nightcap, Richards allowed a leadoff walk, and then retired 11 straight batters before a two-out double in the fourth. In between, CMS gave her all the offense she would need when Kaili Aqui coaxed a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the second, scoring Zimmerman, who singled with one out and stole second before moving to third on a LeBlanc single. 

CMS added an insurance run in the fifth when Emma Suh singled and stole second, and then came home on an error with two outs to make the score 2-0. 

Richards put herself in a little bit of a jam in the seventh when she couldn't field a comebacker, but she got the first out via strikeout, LeBlanc fielded a ball to third and stepped on the bag for a force, and Richards then ended it herself with a called strike three to finish off the shutout. 

LeBlanc was 2-for-3 in the nightcap to account for half of the CMS hits, and record her second straight two-hit game, while Suh was 1-for-1 with a walk. 

CMS will be idle next weekend before returning to action in two weeks to take on Pomona-Pitzer in the final regular season series on April 29-30.