CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Pacific Lutheran University softball offense continued to be explosive on Saturday, scoring 15 runs against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges to earn a split with the Athenas. The home team won Game 1, 7-4, but the Lutes rallied in the nightcap, winning 11-4.
Game 1
PLU (6-2) spotted the home team a 4-0 lead to start the game before tying the score in the third.
Nanea Kalama got the Lutes on the board when she doubled home
Casey Wright and
Erin McGrath. McGrath singled to start the inning and Wright followed with a double.
Anna Foster made it four straight hits with a single to center and
Kayla Terlecki was able to scamper all the way home after an error by the center fielder. With one out,
Rylie Wada singled to right field to score
Alexis Ramelb, who was running for Foster.
"The start of today is what we've been talking about everyday," said PLU Head Coach
Traci Barrett. "You can't expect the game to give back to you when you give the opponent freebies. We struggled to come through in moments of Opportunity, including a leadoff triple and bases loaded with zero outs and didn't score. That's tough. We had to re-find ourselves."
That would be all the Lute offense would muster in the first seven innings. Jade Johnson stepped in after relieving Lauren Richards and did not allow an earned run in her five innings of work for CMS.
Lute starter
Marley Dyer was chased in the bottom half of the third inning after giving up four earned runs and recording eight outs. The senior walked four and allowed seven hits before turning things over to
Emma Ware. Ware pitched 2.1 innings and allowed just two hits before handing the ball to freshman and reigning NWC Pitcher of the Week
Kennedy Kila. Kila allowed two hits and an earned run in the sixth.
Chaella Galapon and
Mari Foster both had a pair of hits at the top of the Lute order.
Game 2
The visitors wouldn't be denied in Game 2 as they led 9-0 after the top of the third inning en route to an 11-4 victory to salvage a split in five innings.
"It was a great finish by the girls in Game 2," said Barrett. We made a good adjustment to their pitching. Great plate appearances all day by
Cailey Collado,
Mari Foster and
Casey Wright. Casey also threw out three baserunners today.
Erin McGrath's bases-clearing double was all the run support our pitchers needed."
The Lutes took advantage of a CMS miscue in the first as
Casey Wright reached on an Athena error to score
Kennedy Kila. In the second, Kila drew a bases loaded walk, and
Erin McGrath followed with a bases clearing double. Wright was at it again later in the inning, drilling a triple to score McGrath and eventually scored on a wild pitch. In the third,
Mari Foster continued to swing a hot bat with a RBI double and McGrath plated
Kennadi Wuebel with a sacrifice fly.
After Kila allowed her only run in her third victory of the season,
Taylor Shigeta answered right back with a RBI double to right and the Lutes increased their advantage to 11-1 when
Nanea Kalama scored on a wild pitch.
Cassidy Conrad threw the final two innings for PLU, allowing three earned runs on three walks and five hits.
Wright and
Mari Foster both had two hits, while McGrath drove in four.
PLU will remain on the road tomorrow when they play two against Chapman University with action beginning at 12:00 p.m.
