CMS Softball Falls in 11 Innings in SCIAC Tournament Opener

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team had 13 hits, but pushed just one one across as it dropped a 3-1 decision to Pomona-Pitzer in 11 innings in the opening round of the double-elimination SCIAC Postseason Tournament on Friday at Athena Field.

CMS will now face Chapman on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in an elimination game, while Pomona-Pitzer faces Redlands in a winner's bracket game at 12:30 p.m.

Rachel Sapirstein was 4-for-5 for CMS, while Destiny Garcia was 3-for-5, as CMS outhit Pomona-Pitzer 13-8 on the day. The biggest hit, though, came in the 11th inning from Amanda Robman, who plated two runs with a bases-loaded two-out single to break the 1-1 tie. 

CMS scored its lone run with its speed, as Kaili Aqui led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Emma Suh. Aqui then alertly took off for third when a ball momentarily popped out of the catcher's mitt for a passed ball, and came home when the throw down to third got away. 

Pomona-Pitzer tied it in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly when Robman came home on a close play and missed the plate on her first try, but was able to dive back in and touch it before she was tagged. CMS had its best chance to win it in the eighth, when Abby Thompson had back-to-back singles with out out. Destiny Garcia and Sapirstein had a pair of singles in the 10th to put two on with two out, but Pomona-Pitzer starter Devin Waddell was able to escape the jam with a grounder to third.

Waddell ended the game with a diving play in the circle to rob Aqui of a hit for the third out, capping off an 11-inning complete game in which she allowed 13 hits, but no earned runs. Heather Shipley went five innings for CMS and allowed no earned runs, while Maya Loper took the tough-luck loss after throwing five innings of shutout relief before giving up two runs in her sixth inning of work. 

If the Athenas are able to defeat Chapman at 10 a.m., they will stay alive and face the loser of the Pomona-Pitzer vs. Redlands game at 4 p.m. for the right to advance to Sunday's championship. CMS swept all three games from Chapman during the regular season.