Perley's Walk-Off RBI Single Gives CMS Softball Split With Cortland

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior right fielder Rachel Perley had a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the No. 11 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team a 5-4 win over Cortland in the opening game of a doubleheader on Friday.

Cortland used a seven-run second inning to build an early lead to take a 10-3 win in the nightcap and salvage the split. With the split, CMS moves to 16-5 on the season, while Cortland sees its record move to 6-5. 

CMS led for most of the way in the opener, before Skyler Hoyt hit a three-run homer for the Red Dragons in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. With two outs in the bottom half, senior pitcher Chloe Amarilla hit a chopper for an infield single, and sophomore outfielder Molly Spaniac doubled into the right-center field gap to tie the score back up. 

Freshman reliever Lexi Singh worked a quick top of the seventh, and sophomore designated player Megan Perron led off the top of the seventh with a single into left field. Sophomore first baseman Maddie Valdez followed with a single to center and an error loaded the bases with nobody out.

Cortland was on the verge of working on the jam after sophomore center fielder Kawai Scanlan lined into a double play straight back to the pitching circle, with Richards getting caught off of first base for the second out.  Perley, though, came through in a pressure situation, lining the game-winning RBI single over shortstop to bring Perron home with the game-winning run. 

SB: Walk it off! Again! Athenas take G1 on a two-out RBI single from Rachel Perley in the bottom of the seventh. Game two coming up in 30 mins. pic.twitter.com/GMk2jnQG6e

— CMS Athletics (@AthleticsCMS) March 22, 2019

The walk-off win marked the ninth time this season that CMS has won a game in its final at-bat, among its 15 wins. CMS has also had walk-off home wins in extra innings against Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne, and had a walk-off win in the seventh inning against Williams on Monday. 

Amarilla was 3-for-3 with three runs scored in the opening game, while Perron was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Singh earned the win for throwing one inning of hitless relief, her first collegiate victory. 

In the nightcap, Hannah Feldman hit a three-run triple to cap off a seven-run second inning as the Red Dragons built a big early lead. Valdez came back in the bottom half with a solo homer, her team-leading seventh of the season, but CMS couldn't get any closer.  Spaniac added her second RBI double of the day, and Amarilla added her fourth hit and her fourth run. 

CMS will be back in action tomorrow when it returns to SCIAC play with a home game against Whittier at 12 noon.