Coming off sweeping the No. 23 ranked Redlands Bulldogs last week, the California Lutheran University softball team came out to play La Verne in the second week of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

However the Regals would come up empty-handed, dropping both games to La Verne of scores 21-1 and 11-1 at Hutton Field.

Sophomore Courtney Sooy (1-4) got the start for game one and was roughed up for 12 earned runs and five walks in 3.2 innings of work.

The hot hitting bats continued for La Verne when junior Blake Lewis made her first appearance in the circle for the Regals this spring. Lewis pitched 1.2 innings in relief and notched the only strike out of the game.

Blake Lewis also went 1-2 which led the offensive attack for the Regals along with senior Liz Mertel who went 2-2 with an RBI and run scored.

Blake Lewis said she felt great at the plate and that extra reps have been her key to success the last couple of weeks.

As an upperclassman this year, Blake Lewis said she tries to lead by example for the younger girls on the team.

“I try to show them that I’ll do anything to be out there and anything to help the team,” Blake Lewis said.

In the second game the Regals came out to a strong start, putting up the first run of the game after sophomore right fielder Amanda Lewis and Blake Lewis had back to back singles to set up senior pitcher Shonna Christianson for the RBI single to score Amanda Lewis from third base.

Christianson (1-3) also got the start in the circle and pitched all six innings of the game, giving up eight earned runs on eight hits.

La Verne would strike back the next inning getting one run back on an error which would tie the game up at one apiece. The next inning Cal Lutheran loaded the bases but failed to cash in after a linedrive to second by Christina Hunter hit base runner Olivia Leyva and left the bases loaded for Amanda Lewis, who lined out to end the inning.

Errors would doom the Regals in game two. Cal Lutheran made three errors in the game, two of which came in the third inning and cost the Regals four runs.

“We played some very shaky defense today after working on it all week. We have to keep getting better each week, and I don’t think we got better today, ” said head coach Debby Day.

Amanda Lewis led the Regals offense in game two going 2-4 with a run scored.

Freshman Abbigael Howard got her first taste of conference play on Saturday after replacing junior starting catcher Taylor Beacham in the third inning.

“It was a little nerve-racking at first but after awhile I knew I had to take control as a catcher and I felt that it worked out well,” Howard said.

After settling in, Howard showed off her arm throwing out a runner at third base and also making multiple blocks behind the plate for the Regals to save potential runs.

La Verne improved to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in SCIAC play.

According to clusports.com, Cal Lutheran (2-7, 2-3 SCIAC) will continue their home stand at Hutton Field on Feb. 20 with a non-conference doubleheader against Linfield beginning at 12 p.m.

The Regals will continue conference play next week at Pomona-Pitzer with another doubleheader on Feb. 21.

Connor Sipes
Staff Writer
Published February 18th, 2015