Livi, Suh Have RBI Singles in Seventh, as CMS Softball Earns 2-1 Walkoff Win over Whittier

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Ari Livi tied the score with a one-out RBI single in the seventh, and Emma Suh followed one out later with the game-winning RBI single, as the CMS Softball team came back for a 2-1 win over Whittier on Friday afternoon.

The two teams came into the day tied in the SCIAC standings at 6-3, and the Athenas earned a key win to move ahead at 19-8 overall and 7-3 in league play. Whittier is now 16-8 overall and 6-4 in SCIAC. 

Whittier took a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning, but Jacqueline Solomon was able to start the bottom half by reaching on an error. Madison Gonzalez put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put Solomon at second. Livi then singled up the middle and Solomon slid home with the tying run, as Livi went into second base behind the play. 

Pinch-runner Megan Kho stole third, and one out later, Suh punched a single up the middle that drove home Kho from third with the winning run. 

The game was a pitcher's duel through the first six innings, as the score was 0-0 heading into the seventh, with Whittier managing just one hit off of Heather Shipley and CMS managing just two hits off of Jamie Garvey. 

The Poets opened the seventh inning with a single and a triple off the bat of Marissa Flynn to break the deadlock. After a walk, Whittier had runners on second and third and nobody out, and CMS was able to get out of the inning with no further damage by getting the Poets out in three separate rundowns on the basepaths, which proved to be pivotal as the Athenas came back in the bottom half. 

The first out came as Rachel Sapirstein fielded a ground ball at third base, which resulted in pinch-runner Samantha Ramirez being caught off third. Sapirstein threw back to shortstop Destiny Garcia, who threw home to Ari Livi for the forceout, although Ramirez did her job by staying in the rundown long enough for the runners to move up to second and third with one out.

Destiny Garcia then fielded the next ball at shortstop and threw home to Livi, who ran the runner back to third base for the second out. A second Poet baserunner then got caught in between second and third, with Livi throwing to Suh at second, who threw back to Garcia for the tag to end the inning.  

Shipley finished with a three-hitter to get the win and improve to 6-4. She did not strike anyone out, but rolled out the ground balls to great effect, getting 15 groundouts on the day (five of which she fielded herself). Livi (2-for-3) was the only player on either team with a multi-hit game. 

CMS will be back in action against the Poets tomorrow for a doubleheader at Whittier.