Shutout sweep of Oxy

CLAREMONT, Calif. – In the first conference games of the season, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team swept Occidental College winning 1-0 and then 4-0. The Athenas improve to 3-3 overall while the Tigers drop to 2-10, 0-4 in SCIAC play.

Game one saw neither team record a hit for the first four and a half innings. Junior Anna Gurr (CMC) toed the rubber for the Athenas and threw a one-hitter against the Tigers. Gurr struck out four and ultimately only allowed two runners to reach base safely in the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Reeve Grobecker (CMC) tallied CMS' first hit of the day with a slapped single through the left side. Freshman Marissa Valdovinos (SC) expertly laid down a sacrifice and then Grobecker was scored on a single to center by freshman Kylie Hetzel (HMC).

The Athena defense remained airtight for the next two innings to secure the 1-0 win. The left side of the infield was kept busy as junior Carly Roleder (CMC) and sophomore Abigail Metsch (SC) combined for 11 of the 13 assists on the day.

In the second game of the day, the Athenas wasted no time getting on the board. Valdovinos got things going in the bottom of the first with a single and then sophomore Ande Troutman (CMC) reached on an error. Hetzel executed offensively again, this time with a sacrifice bunt. Both Valdovinos and Troutman were scored on a sizzling hit by Roleder for CMS to take the 2-0 lead.

Troutman ripped a triple to lead off the third inning and was hit in by Valdovinos on the subsequent at-bat. Two more hits by Roleder and Metsch put another run across for the Athenas, giving junior hurler Briana Halle (CMC) some breathing room.

Halle threw four complete innings which included five strikeouts. When Halle got into a bit of trouble in the top of the fifth, Gurr came in to relieve her. After Gurr induced a ground ball for the first out of the inning, Oxy's Bailey Stevens made good contact with a pitch. Metsch, recently shifted over from first base, made the snag at short and with a toss to second base, doubled up the runner to get out of the inning.

Gurr held down the fort for the rest of the game as the Athenas completed the shutout and sweep of Occidental. Next weekend, CMS (3-3, 2-0) travels to La Verne (8-2, 4-0) for a SCIAC double header.

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director

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