Denison takes Athenas in double header

CLAREMONT, Calif. – After the high of beating the now No. 1 Berry on Tuesday afternoon, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team (6-8) returned to the diamond the next day to be swept by Denison (7-1), 8-1 and 5-2. The Big Red had just previously swept both Whittier and Pomona-Pitzer in high-scoring affairs and came to CMS ready to hit.

Junior Anna Gurr (CMC) pitched 12 innings on Tuesday and needed a break before another pair of double headers on Friday and Saturday, so the Athenas started freshman Erin Alexander (CMC) in game one. It took Alexander a few innings to settle in and then was relieved by sophomore Chloe Amarilla (CMC).

CMS' lone run of the game came in the second inning when sophomore Rachel Perley (HMC) came in for a pinch hit RBI to score classmate Ande Troutman (CMC) from third.

Two defensive highlights of the game were Troutman going back on a ball for the first out in the top of the second and a come-backer to Alexander in the circle that she did not even flinch at before snagging.

Denison came out aggressive from the first inning. The Big Red's base running and Athena errors gave the Big Red a 2-1 lead early and then they tacked on five more by the fifth inning.

The Athenas hopes were raised in the bottom of the fourth when senior Alexa Heydenberk (CMC) drove a ball out to center for a triple. She ended up being stranded on base as Denison's Erin Laswell forced a ground out and pop up to end the inning. Ultimately, the hole was too big to climb out of as CMS fell 8-1 in the first game of the day.

Game 1 Box Score

Amarilla returned to the circle for CMS in game two and threw 5.2 innings. She was relieved by junior Carly Roleder (CMC) for her collegiate pitching debut. Roleder got CMS out of a jam in the sixth when a Denison runner tried to steal home on a wild pitch. Sophomore Mackenzie Bradford (CMC) tossed it back to Roleder at the plate who applied the tag, ending the inning.

Offensively, the Athenas out-hit Denison in the second game of the day, 8-5. Freshman Marissa Valdovinos (SC) and sophomore Reeve Grobecker (CMC) each tallied two while Amarilla and freshman Alison Jue (SC) earned the RBIs for CMS. The Athenas left 10 runners on base during the game and were unable to muster a rally.

Game 2 Box Score

CMS gets right back to it with a double header today, March 17, against Ithaca (4-4) starting at 12 p.m.

By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director

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