California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

    Regals Win 3 Out of 4 on the Weekend

    The California Lutheran University softball team won three of its four games between the two home and away series over the weekend of March 4 and 5. The weekend saw the Regalsย  host Redlands and travel to Whittier in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

    โ€œI think they gave us a lot of confidence knowing that we can hang with and beat some of the teams that have typically come in higher finish in the SCIAC. The three wins that we had were definitely team wins, everyone was involved and just a great start to our SCIAC,โ€ Head Coach Debby Day said.

    Junior short stop Antonia Rapisardi contributed to the Regals wins by producing three RBIs crucial to the winning outcome.  Photo by P.K. Duncan--Staff Photographer
    Junior short stop Antonia Rapisardi contributed to the Regals wins by producing three RBIs crucial to the winning outcome.
    Photo by P.K. Duncan–Staff Photographer

    The Regals were looking to get their first win, and they were able to accomplish that as they took down Redlands 5-4 in a 10-inning thriller in game one and 7-6 in game two of the day.

    Game one went back and forth between the two sides.

    Lali Garza got the scoring started for Redlands as she homered to left in the first inning and brought in one in the process, immediately putting the Regals in a 0-2 deficit at the start of the game.

    The Regals werenโ€™t going to give up as they saw junior third basemen Olivia Leyva sacrifice fly to bring in freshman outfielder/pitcher Brittany Workman after she was able to get on base with a single of her own. The Regals were able to cut the deficit in half and enter the second inning only down by one.

    The bottom of the third was when the Regals would tie it up as senior pitcher Courtney Sooy hit an RBI double to left bringing the score to 2-2 and erasing that early 0-2 hole.

    Redlands was able to add one more in the top of the fifth, but the Regals equaled it with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning when the Redlands second baseman committed an error, allowing junior center fielder Jacy Watanabe to round third and come home.

    Extra innings were on the card as both teams were unable to score in the remaining innings and wouldnโ€™t score until the top of the 10th.

    Sooy, still on the mound after nine, gave up a triple to Summer Smith of Redlands, which brought in one runner. Sooy was able to hold them to just one as she allowed her team to stay within striking distance of getting the first win.

    The bottom of the 10th saw them in a similar situation as they were in the first, which was behind. But like the first, they were able to get the runs back as Workman hit a triple to right scoring one. On the next batter Redlands pitcher Lindsey Mifsud threw a wild pitch allowing Workman to come home, and the Regals were able to get their first win in walk-off fashion.

    In game two of the day it was much of the same, as both the Regals and Bulldogs seemed to equal each other after every run scored.

    Redlands was able to score two in the top of the second, which was answered right back with two of their own when junior second baseman Mikaela Mayhew singled and brought in two runners in the process.

    The Regals were able to grab the lead in the following inning as Leyva singled to right bringing in Watanabe, which brought the score to 3-2.

    The runs poured on in in the fourth as the Regals were able to put four more up on the scoreboard and extend their lead to 7-4.

    But with every lead came an answer, as the Bulldogs were able to get two runs in the top of the seventh.

    Ultimately it wasnโ€™t enough as the Regals were able to hold on to the lead and take the game 7-6.

    โ€œI think we did really well to rally together. It didnโ€™t matter if we were down by two, one or three points it didnโ€™t matter. We knew we were capable of coming back if we just believed in each other,โ€ Leyva said.

    In series two the Regals took on Whittier at their field.

    The Poets proved no match in game one up until the bottom of the sixth, where they would rally back from three to tie it up.

    After Sooy pitched 5.1 innings allowing seven hits and six runs, the ball was placed in freshman pitcher Olivia Serranoโ€™s hand to close the game and help the Regals grab the win.

    Serrano only gave up one and that brought the game to a 6-6 tie heading into the seventh and final inning.

    The Regals were looking to add another extra inning win to the book as they came out and scored four runs in the top of the seventh to go up 10-6 and looked toward the freshman to close it out.

    Thatโ€™s just what Serrano did as she faced four batters in the bottom of the inning and only allowed one hit, which gave the Regals their first win of the day and third of the weekend.

    In game two the Regals continued their scoring from last game as Leyva was able to get an RBI single in the top of the first giving the Regals an early lead.

    Whittier answered back in the bottom of the inning with a home run from Marialena Ahern that brought in two and made the score 2-1.

    The Poets were able to extend their lead in the bottom of the third after a sacrifice fly brought in a runner and made it 3-1.

    It stayed scoreless until the top of the sixth when junior first basemen Makenna Pellerin hit an RBI doubled to left and cut the Poets lead to just one, but they were unable to find that tying run and keep their winning streak going.

    The Regals fell 3-2 and made it three out of four on the weekend. The three wins brought their record to 3-5 overall, and .500 in conference play with a record of 3-3.

    โ€œI feel like we are in a really good place, weโ€™re feeling good with each other and about each other. We just have to have some timely hitting and keep putting the ball in play and good things are going to happen,โ€ Day said.

    Leyva was a standout player with eight RBIs on the weekend.

    โ€œI just need to think simple especially up at the plate. See ball, hit ball,โ€ Leyva said.

    The Regals will travel to La Verne March 11 where they will play a double header and look to tack on a few more wins beginning at 12 p.m.

    โ€œLa Verne, the last few years, has been one of the top teams in our conference, so we just have to keep plugging away. We are playing really good defense right now, our pitching and catching has been great. We just need to make sure we score runs when we need to,โ€ Day said.

    Gabriel Naudin
    Staff Writer