Athenas Power Through Weekend
The CMS Softball team played six games in 48 hours over the weekend, coming away 5-1.
The three consecutive double-headers began Friday with an evening twin bill at Chapman. The Athenas pounded out 20 hits and 23 runs in two dominating performances. Harmony Palmer (SO, Oceanside) was relentless at the plate going three for five, with four runs scored, six RBIs and two walks, combining for an astounding .715 OB% on the evening. Amanda Banducci [(JR, San Mateo) pictured left] was also prolific offensively going two for six with two runs scored, three RBIs and a walk on the night. Rounding out the offensive highlights, Emily Lopez (JR, Fresno) went three for five, while scoring three times and driving in another two.
Emma Friedenberg (JR, Danville) pitched game one scattering eight hits and four runs over five innings. Olivia Jacobs (FR, Shoreline, WA) closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth securing the run-rule victory in her collegiate pitching debut. Banducci pitched the second game giving up six hits and one run before Jacobs came in again to close out the five inning run-rule victory.
Just sixteen hours later, the Athenas took the field to host SCIAC foe Cal Lutheran. The entire roster contributed at some point as the squad put together two solid wins with 11 hits, 11 runs, while committing only one error. The unequivocal highlight of the day came in the form of a pinch hit grand slam by Kara Mantani [(SR, Redwood City) pictured right]. Coming out of the dug-out with the score tied 1-1, the bases loaded and two outs, Mantani took a pitch some 240 feet over the fence in what is a rare feat and a lifetime memory. Her four RBI dinger gave the Athenas a much needed boost that they did not relinquish closing the game out 7-5.
Other highlights on the day included three impressive double plays in the infield and several noteworthy web-gems in the outfield, one of them to end the game on a line shot to center that would have likely knotted the game at seven.
Game two was not as tense and CMS won handily 4-1. The Athena pitching staff combined in game one allowing 5 runs on 10 hits with Friedenberg notching the win. In game 2, Rebecca Gularte (JR, Sunnyvale) scattered just seven hits and gave up one run over seven innings pitched for the win.
In another quick turnaround, the Athenas traveled to La Verne on Sunday for more SCIAC action. Unfortunately, the squad played poorly and managed only a split winning the first game 2-1 before faltering in game two 3-0. Behind table setters Michelle Harvey (SR, San Diego) and Megan Morris (JR, Ridgewood, NJ), who combined went seven for 13 on the day, CMS put up 14 hits, but could only plate two on the day. The Athenas left a staggering 22 runners on base in the two games with over half of them in scoring position.
The slew of games leaves CMS 11-2, 6-1 in SCIAC to date. The team will leave Friday for Orlando, FL to participate in the nationally renowned Rebel Spring Games http://www.rebelspringgames.com/
They will begin another fierce stint of eight games in four days on Saturday, March 12 before returning to Claremont on the March 16.
You can catch the Athenas in action back home on Friday, March 18 against #1 ranked Linfield College at 1 pm.