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CMS Softball Moves into Top 10 in Latest NFCA Division III National Poll

CMS Softball Moves into Top 10 in Latest NFCA Division III National Poll

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team earned its highest ranking of the 2019 season in the latest Division III poll from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday, moving into the top 10 at No. 9 in the nation, the organization announced today.

The Athenas moved up from No. 13 to No. 9 after a 4-0 league weekend which saw them improve their conference record to 16-0 this season, as well as their overall record to 22-5. It is the second-highest that a CMS softball team has ever been ranked, after the 2016 team peaked at No. 7. 

Last weekend, the Athenas used some hot hitting up and down the lineup to take four road games over Redlands and Chapman. CMS finished with 35 runs over the four games, and actually scored 43, but had an eight-run seventh inning in a win over Redlands wiped out when the bottom half of the inning couldn't be played due to darkness.

Sophomore Megan Perron continued to lead the CMS offensive production, as she is now hitting .451 on the season with 28 runs batted in. She had perhaps the biggest hit of the weekend when her two-out, three-run double in the fourth tied the score in the opening game at Chapman 5-5 to help the Athenas dig out of an early 5-1 hole to win 12-7. 

The big day of the weekend went to sophomore catcher/first baseman Maddie Valdez, who was 3-for-3 with two homers and seven RBI in an 11-4 win over Redlands in the nightcap on Friday. Valdez staked CMS to a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer in the first, then hit a grand slam in the fourth to break the game open and put the Athenas ahead 8-1. She now stands at .341 for the season with nine homers and 28 RBI. 

The strong .341 batting average for Valdez actually only puts her in fifth place on her own team. After Perron's .451, freshman Ananya Koneti is hitting an even .500, sophomore Molly Spaniac is at .376, while senior Chole Amarilla is hitting .341. Senior Rachel Perley is also hitting .300 as two-thirds of the Athena lineup checks in at .300 or better. 

In the circle, freshman Lauren Richards has compiled an impressive 13-2 record this season, after beginning the year 10-0. Three times she has won both games of a SCIAC doubleheader by coming on in relief to win the opener in extra innings, and then starting and earning the win in the nightcap. Amarilla is also now 7-3 on the season after back-to-back shutouts in wins over Whittier over Redlands. In the Redlands win, she threw a four-hit shutout while batting 3-4 with a homer and three RBI in a 5-0 win. 

CMS will look to keep its unblemished record in SCIAC play going this weekend, when it hosts Cal Lutheran for a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday at Athena Field. 

See below for the complete NFCA Division III Top 25 poll.

NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll – April 3, 2019

Rank

Team

Rec.

Pts.

Prev.

1

Christopher Newport (8)

18-2

200

1

2

Virginia Wesleyan

23-2

192

2

3

East Texas Baptist

27-1

184

3

4

Illinois Wesleyan

13-4

176

7

5

Texas Lutheran

21-5

168

8

6

St. Thomas (Minn.)

14-2

160

4

7

Coe

24-3

152

11

8

Lynchburg

25-5

127

6

9

CMS

22-5

125

T13

10

Linfield

22-4-1

118

15

11

Trine

14-2

104

T17

12

Williams

15-4

102

16

13

Ithaca

10-4-1

101

10

T14

Moravian

19-3

72

24

T14

Rowan

16-6

72

NR

16

MIT

11-5

66

5

17

Manhattanville

18-1

65

12

18

Kean

22-3

62

9

19

RPI

16-2

59

20

20

Birmingham-Southern

23-5

57

NR

T21

Saint Benedict (Minn.)

14-5

49

21

T21

Tufts

17-3

49

23

23

Wisconsin-Eau Claire

11-3

43

22

24

Luther

18-3

38

RV

25

Piedmont

22-5

35

NR