CMS Softball Opens 2023 Season with Sweep of Westcliff

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Heather Shipley threw a complete-game five-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener, and Jade Johnson threw four shutout innings in a 6-5 win in the nightcap as the CMS softball team opened the 2023 season with a sweep of Westcliff on Saturday at Athena Field.

CMS starts the year 2-0 with the sweep, while Westcliff slips to 2-4 with the two defeats. 

Shipley allowed a first inning run, but held the Warriors scoreless over the final six innings. Rachel Sapirstein tied it with a single up the middle in the third. In the fifth, Destiny Garcia had a key steal of third, which came just before an error allowed the go-ahead run to score. In the sixth, Paige Zimmerman doubled, then stole third and came home on a throwing error to make it 3-1. 

Westcliff made a bid for a rally in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs, but Shipley was able to finish off the win by getting a popout to Emma Suh at second base to end the threat. Garcia was 2-for-2 and Suh was 2-for-3 in the opener. 

In the nightcap, CMS jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on for the 6-5 win to complete the sweep. Madison Gonzalez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third, and Sapirstein followed with an RBI triple to make it 2-0. 

Suh had a perfect suicide squeeze for an RBI in the fourth to push the lead to 4-0. Abby Thompson and Gonzalez added RBI singles. A two out RBI single in the seventh got Westcliff within just one run, but Alexis Gero was able to get the final out on a fly ball to right to finish off the scoring. 

Gonzalez and Sapirstein were each 2-for-4 in the nightcap, while Johnson allowed just three hits and no walks over her four shutout innings to earn the win. 

CMS will be back in action on Friday when it hosts San Diego Christian for an 11 a.m. doubleheader.