LOS ANGELES, Calif. – For the first time in her collegiate career, Jacqueline Shimamoto homered and it could not have come at a more opportune time as she propelled the Occidental College softball team to a 1-0 victory in their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener over Cal Lutheran University. In game two the Black and Orange had to go into extra innings before a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th brought in the winning run to secure the sweep and a 6-5 victory.
The opener was knotted in a scoreless tie, 0-0, in the sixth, Shimamoto lined CLU pitcher Allyson Salas' offering over the right centerfield fence with the game winner, for one of only four Tigers' hits of game one. Senior shortstop Gabriela Chavez followed suit with a single to left and swiped second, but that was as far as she would get.
Both Jerika Barron and Tasha Serna-Gallegos singled to round out the offense for Oxy in the morning tilt.
Brittany Vaccura notched her second victory of the young 2011 season, logging all 7.0 innings, striking out eight while scattering five hits. The only Regals' player to reach third base was their leadoff hitter, Kayla Sakamoto, who led off with a single in the opening frame before stealing second and advancing to the hot corner on an illegal pitch.
Both squads opened the second game of the double header with new pitchers (Oxy – Amber Garland & CLU – Katelyn Downing) which brought life to both offenses.
The Regals opened with two runs in the top of the first and after a scoreless bottom half of the inning by the Tigers Cal Lu extended the lead with two more in the top of the second.
Down 4-0, the Black and Orange staged a two out rally in the bottom of the second. With Lindsay Gross at first and two down, Shimamoto doubled to right to score Gross. Chavez followed with a walk before Barron cleared the bases with a shot to deep left center field. The scoreboard still read two outs, but with Barron on second Oxy now trailed by just one. Ashley Noone kept the scoreboard operator busy with a single to the gap to drive in the runner and tie the score at four all before a pop up finally ended the inning for the Regals.
Cal Lu responded with a solo shot by Geri Jensen in the top half of the third before Oxy staged another two out rally. With two away and Gross again waiting at first, Shimamoto drew a walk, followed by a Chavez single to bring home Gross for the second time in the game.
To try and stymie both offenses, each squad brought back their starting pitchers from the opening game (Oxy – Vacura & CLU – Salas), and it worked as neither team could manufacture a run until the bottom of the 10th. With two down and runners at second and third, Chavez came to the plate with three hits on three attempts and two walks on the day. The Regals decided to walk the Tiger shortstop to load the bases, to setup a force at every base. The strategy backfired, as Salas walked Barron on four straight pitches to bring in the winning run.
Occidental (4-0, 2-0) will travel Saturday as they face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps for their first road games of the season. First pitch against the Athenas is slated for noon.
Article by Mike Talamantes, Assistant Sports Information Director and Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director
