Tough Two Days for Tigers’ Softball
REDLANDS, Calif. (April 18, 2009) – Four times this weekend the Tigers took the field. Although Oxy played two one-run games, they came up empty as the Sagehens from Pomona-Pitzer and Bulldogs from the University of Redlands swept past the ladies in black and orange on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Sophomore shortstop Gabriela Chavez was 6-for-13 on the weekend and was the only player to score twice while junior backstop Alyssa Escalante was 5-for-12 with four of Oxy’s six RBIs.
Occidental (13-20, 2-12 SCIAC) got off to a slow start Friday as they were shutout 2-0 by PP before rebounding to play a close 5-4 contest in the night-cap, but again came up short.
With two outs in the fifth inning Britt Karp and Rebecca Nashleanas recorded back-to-back hits, but that was as close as the Tigers would get in game one. Although Vanessa Hernandez pinch hit and led off the seventh with a single, the third of only four hits in the game for Oxy.
In the second contest of the afternoon Pomona-Pitzer jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Oxy got back in it with a pair of runs in the third inning. Chavez, Escalante and Alyssa Smith connected for back-to-back-to-back hits, Chavez scoring on Escalante’s double and Escalante scoring on Smith’s single, one of her two hits in the game.
The Tigers knotted the game in the fifth when Chavez singled and stole second, coming around to score on another Escalante hit. Oxy took a 4-3 lead in the sixth when Smith reached on a PP error and came in to score on a pass ball.
Unfortunately for the black and orange, the Sagehens came screaming back in the seventh, connecting for five hits, scoring a pair to steal the win.
Shanna Yackel (8-13) was tagged with the loss in game one and Kimi Elguea (5-7), who threw 5.2 innings in game two, got the second loss of the day.
On Saturday the Tigers headed out to Redlands where the Tigers and No. 24 ranked Bulldogs played another close contest, with UR finishing on top 2-1 before earning a five-inning 11-2 win in the afternoon game to complete a season sweep of Occidental.
UR took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, adding a second and the ultimate winning run in the fifth inning of the opening game of the double-header. Occidental put forth a valiant effort in the sixth inning when they sent seven batters to the plate. The number nine batter, Nashleanas, bunted for a single to lead things off and came around to score on Escalante’s single. A pair of fielder’s choices ended the inning, with the second out being a runner thrown out at the plate.
Redlands’ pitcher Olivia Ellis threw a complete game, striking out seven, allowing no walks. Yackel also tossed a complete game, scattering just six hits allowing two runs, only one earned in the loss.
Things fell apart for the Tigers in their fourth game of the weekend as UR tagged the Oxy pitching duo for 11 runs on 13 hits including seven extra-base hits. Again the offense was limited to just four hits and Occidental pushed just two runs across the plate.
The Oxy defense turned two double plays and Escalante threw out two would-be-base stealers. Tasha Serna-Gallegos had 15 errorless touches at second base with six putouts and nine assists. Nicole Hannasch finished the weekend with nine assists at third base. Smith had 29 putouts at first with no miscues.
Occidental will play a pair on the road Friday afternoon, April 24, when they travel to Claremont, Calif. to take on the Athenas who enter the weekend in second place to Redlands at 24-10, 13-7 SCIAC. The Tigers will conclude the season Saturday with two games at home against the University of La Verne.
