CMS Softball Drops Pair of Non-Conference Games at Redlands

REDLANDS, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team traveled to Redlands to face Chapman and the host Bulldogs in a pair of early-season non-SCIAC contests, and fell 4-3 to Chapman and 15-7 to Redlands on Saturday at the Field of Dreams.

Destiny Garcia was 4-for-5 on the day with three walks for the Athenas while batting leadoff, reaching base on seven of eight plate appearances. Madison Gonzalez was 6-for-8 with five RBI, including a 4-for-4, four-RBI effort in the nightcap. 

Against Chapman, Gonzalez staked CMS to an early 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first, but Redlands tied it up in the second and then scored three times in the third to go ahead 4-1. 

CMS battled back as Abby Thompson plated Garcia with an RBI single in the fifth. Garcia then led off the seventh with a single and moved to third on a Sarah Loper single. Thompson plated Garcia with a groundout that forced Loper at second to make it 4-3, but Redlands was able to get the final out to secure the win. 

Against Redlands, CMS looked determined to make it a split of the day with three runs in the first and three in the second to take a quick 6-0 lead. Gonzalez had a two-run single in the first, and Ellie Novogradac followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. 

Thompson, Gonzalez and Avery O all had RBI singles in the top of the second to push the lead to 6-0, but Redlands battled back and was able to take an 8-7 lead with four runs in the fourth, and then enforce the eight-run rule with a six-run fifth. 

Sophia Nugyen was 2-for-3 with two runs scored against Redlands, while Thompson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. 

CMS will be back in action on Feb. 24 when it hosts St. Katherine for a doubleheader at Athena Field.