The California Lutheran University Regals softball team lost to the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in their first conference game on Friday, Feb. 28 at Hutton Field.
With the game coming to a final score of 18-6, the Regals are now 3-4 overall, and 0-1 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The two teams were tied 5-5 until the fifth inning when the Sagehens made 6 runs.
“We fell apart a little bit defensively, and our pitchers got the ball up in the zone,” Head Coach Debby Day said. “We gave up some big hits and our defense wasn’t able to make some routine plays, and that ended up really hurting us.”
In total, the Sagehens had 19 hits, while the Regals were behind with 10 hits.
“I think we had some really good at bats and answered back every time we went up,” Day said.
Sophomore infielder and outfielder Mia Onesto worked to make two of the Regals’ runs, while senior infielder Kendall Marinesi came in strong with 3 RBIs and 1 run.
“We had some solid hits, but they just went right to people. We’re just trying to find these gaps and I think we’re getting there,” Marinesi said.
After giving up the tie game in the fifth inning, the Regals’ defense was unable to stop 7 more runs from the Sagehens in the sixth inning.
“Defensively we could have been a little stronger, especially in pressure situations. We kind of just died in those,” Marinesi said.
In the first inning, the Regals were able to stop runs from being made, despite the bases being loaded. Senior pitcher Olivia Serrano closed out the inning, striking out the Sagehens.
Junior pitcher Meghan Henry went to the mound in the third inning, helping the Regals to allow only one run from the Sagehens. In the fourth inning, the Regals made half of their total runs, putting them in the lead for a brief moment.
“This was our first conference game and the first four innings is what we want to be,” senior catcher Lexie Findley said.
Remaining consistent in each inning will be a big focus for the rest of season as the Regals prepare to face Pomona-Pitzer again.
Marinesi said that it seemed like her team took the pressure off and relaxed when the score was tied.
“The first four innings we showed them what we can do, we just have to keep it consistent,” Findley said. “We just have to keep the pressure on, we kind of just stepped back after and let them keep coming at us.”
The Regals are beginning to shift their focus as they move forward in practices.
“If we make the routine plays, then we’re going to make the fantastic ones, so that’s really what we have been mainly focusing on,” Findley said. “We want to be competitive all the way through.”
As for the rest of the season, Day said she is not concerned that today’s outcome will be any indicator of how other conference games will go.
“Flukes happen, I don’t think it’s anything we’re going to freak out about. A win is a win, a loss is a loss and we’re going to come out tomorrow, play the same team and hopefully turn things around,” Day said.
The Regals are looking to keep pushing in conference games and to continue improving as the season progresses.
“Starting off 3-3 was an improvement in our books, so we just want to try to stay consistent,” Marinesi said.
This season, the Regals will look to improve upon last season’s record of 12-28, especially in SCIAC (6-22).
“We lost one senior last year, so this is about the same team, so we want to be even better this year,” Findley said.
The Regals faced the Sagehens again in a double-header on Saturday, Feb. 29 where they won one game and lost the other.
Next, they play at home on Friday, March 6 at 2 p.m. against University of La Verne.