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Box Score 2 LA VERNE, Calif. – The Black and Orange traveled to the University of La Verne to take on the Leopards for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader. After the Tigers lost 4-3 in a close opener, La Verne ran away with game two by the final score of 12-4.
Oxy opened game one with a double to left center by Jacqueline Shimamoto, and after a quick out Ashley Noone singled up the middle to bring home Shimamoto. Tasha Serna-Gallegos tried to keep the rally going with a shot down the middle to move Noone to second, but a fielder's choice and strikeout ended the inning. But the damage was done as Oxy struck first and led 1-0.
La Verne responded by scoring four runs over the next inning and a half to grab a 4-1 lead. In the top half of the fourth inning the Tigers responded with a leadoff walk by Jerika Barron, and went to work, as Barron stole second. Patricia Phillimeano drew another walk, and the Black and Orange now how had the tying run coming to the plate with nobody out. Chardonnay Madkins dropped a bunt to move the runners over but La Verne botched the play by over throwing the first basemen. Barron scored and everyone was safe, the scoreboard now read 4-2 but still with no one out, and two Tigers stood on first and third. But the Leopards came up with two big plays, picking off Madkins on a steal attempt and then striking out the next Oxy batter. Shimamoto ripped the first hit of the inning, scoring Phillimeano, cutting the lead to one.
But that's as close as the Black and Orange would come, as both teams combined for just one hit over the next three innings. Enough for the Leopards to hold on for the 4-3 win in the opener. Brittany Vacura picked up the loss, as she threw a complete game, settling down after giving up four runs in the first two innings to shut out La Verne the rest of the way.
A much different feel in game two, as the Leopards jumped out to an 8-0 lead before the Tigers came to bat in the top of the fourth. Philimeano started the inning with a double to left center, after a pop up Barron singled to left, and with Tigers now on the corners Julia Nicholson drew a walk to load the bases. The Leopards looked like they might derail the rally as a quick strikeout left the bases loaded with two down, but Shimamoto had different ideas, lining a single up the left to score Phillimenao and keep the bases loaded. Gabriela Chavez hit into a fielder's choice but sprinted up the first base line and was called safe, scoring another Oxy runner, followed by a single by Noone to bring in yet another base runner. Serna-Gallegos then hit into an attempted fielder's choice, but Noone broke up the attempt by beating the throw to second. Scoring another run to cut the lead in half, but the aggressive base running by Chavez was not rewarded, as the La Verne second baseman fired a strike to the catcher that just beat the Tiger senior home to end the inning.
The Leopards would stretch the lead back to eight, scoring once in the bottom of the fourth before ending the game with a three run finish in the bottom of the sixth. Amber Garland picked up the loss in game two, accounting for six earned runs in three innings of work, while Kathleen McLain gave up four runs in two and two thirds innings of work but only one was earned.
Oxy (14-9, 4-7) returns to SCIAC action this Saturday, April 2nd, when they travel to Cal Lutheran for a double header. First pitch scheduled for noon.
