LA VERNE, Calif. — The University of La Verne softball team pushed across three late runs to beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 3-2, at Campus West on Sunday afternoon. The game started yesterday, but was suspended in the top of the fourth with the Athenas leading 1-0.
La Verne improves to 18-10 in the SCIAC while CMS falls to 18-10. By virtue of beating the Athenas three games out of four in the regular season, La Verne earns the second seed in the 2015 SCIAC Postseason Tournament and CMS settles for third.
The Leopards looked a little sluggish as they tried to pick up where they left off, but the bats woke up in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and two on, Alexis Schiff smacked a double to deep left center, scoring Katie Cunningham and Rebecca Ireland. The relay throw looked to have beaten Ireland to the plate, but the senior slid in hard—and cleanly—to knock the ball loose from CMS catcher Carlene Roberts.
Katherine Kibbe then poked a single through the right side to score Schiff and give the Leopards a 3-2 lead. The hit extended her hitting streak to 18 games.
Tara Robinson singled with one out in the top of the seventh to give the Athenas one last chance but Ireland came up big once again, this time from behind the plate. Robinson tried to put herself in scoring position with a steal, but Ireland gunned her down at second with a bullet to the shortstop Danielle Vela.
Rachel Hong (3-5) turned in perhaps her best game of the season in the circle. The senior tossed a complete game while striking out seven and scattering seven hits for one earned run. The performance was all the more impressive given it came over two days.
Andrea Jewett (10-1) was tagged with her first loss of the season for the Athenas. She went 5.2 innings while giving up three runs.
Ireland finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. Schiff and Kibbe both finished 1-for-3 and Raeleen Tellez added a hit.
The teams will meet again on Friday in the first game of the Postseason Tournament, hosted by top-seed Whittier. The game time is to be determined.