LOS ANGELES, Calif. – On the final weekend of the 2011 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball season, a trio of Tigers suited up in the Black and Orange for the final time. Prior to running out onto Bell Field for the last double-header of their careers, Occidental took a few moments to recognize, honor and thank Gabriela Chavez, Lindsay Gross and Tasha Serna-Gallegos for her contributions to the program over the last four years. After jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, the Tigers would fall, 8-3, to the University of La Verne in game one, dropping the final game of 2011, 2-0, in a well fought battle by both squads.

Oxy out-hit ULV, eight to seven, in game one but timely hitting by the Leopards got them the win. In game two the Black and Orange added five more hits, but were unable to push across a run.

After a 1-2-3 first inning of game one in which Brittany Vacura struck out a pair, the Occidental hitters were right on the ball in the bottom of the frame. Chavez worked a walk after fouling off six pitches and Ashley Noone finally got the ball between the lines after peppering foul territory when she hit a hard ball at the third baseman, putting two on for Serna-Gallegos. The senior second baseman made the most of her opportunity, chopping a single up the middle, driving in classmate Chavez who was off on contact. Jerika Barron loaded the bags as she chopped a ball of her own just out of the third baseman's reach, giving Gross her first at-bat of senior day. Gross added to the lead with an RBI single past a diving Ashley Paul, ULV's shortstop. Nicole Hannasch drew a walk, driving in the third Oxy run of the first inning, and ultimately the day.

A leadoff homerun off the bat of ULV clean up batter, Dee Dee Burns put the Leopards on the board and give the visiting team the spark they would need. La Verne then used a walk, an Oxy throwing error, a hit and a sacrifice fly to even the score.

In the top of the fourth, the Leopards produced another run to take the lead. They then added to their advantage in the fifth with a pair of runs on a two-RBI single by first baseman Raven Freret, scoring Paul and Burns. The inning ended when the senior middle-infield duo of a diving Chavez at short tossed out the runner at second with Serna-Gallegos covering the bag.

ULV tacked on two more in the top of the seventh, which would have been more if Chavez had not once again left her feet at short. Amber Garland came on for Vacura (10-11) with one down in the seventh and with the bases loaded and two down she struck out the final batter she faced, giving the Tigers one more opportunity to erase a five run deficit in their final trip to the plate with the top of the line-up due.

Occidental would threaten with Jacqueline Shimamoto singling to right to lead things off. She moved up to second when Noone connected for her third hit of the game. A fielders choice put runners on the corners, but a ground ball back to pitcher Delaney Baylor (12-9) ended the game.

ULV struck first in the second inning of game two. Designated hitter Raven Freret led off with a double and Jackie Duran promptly shot an RBI single to left. Duran, tried stretching her single into a double but was gunned down by Noone who fired a strike to Serna-Gallegos, waiting to apply the tag at the bag.

Occidental left runners in scoring position in both the second and third and again in the sixth and seventh.

ULV would use the only Oxy error of the game to their advantage in the fifth. After drawing a walk Mandy Brenner stole second and advanced to third on a throw that sailed into centerfield. A well executed squeeze bunt by Amanda Hastings gave the Leos an insurance run in the tight game.

A two-out rally in the seventh started with a Julia Nicholson line drive up the middle, which Paul made a phenomenal diving attempt at, to bring up the top of the order. Shimamoto drew a walk, but that was all the damage the Tigers would do as Laura Olson earned her eleventh win of the spring and Carly Asher recorded her second save, tossing the bottom of the seventh.

The Tigers collected five hits in the game, two from Barron with Gross connecting for one as well.

Garland (6-9) scattered seven hits in the final game of the season for the Tigers, allowing just one earned run although she was tagged with the loss.

Occidental concludes the 2011 campaign 18-20, the most wins in a single season since the inception of the program in 1986. In addition to re-writing the record books with regards to season victories, the Tigers' pitching staff demolished the season record for strike outs in a season, which stood at 83 by way of the 2000 staff. Vacura single handedly set a new school record, recording 88 alone, as she, Garland and Kathleen McLain combined for 126 strike outs this spring.. The previous record for K's in a season was 62 set by Andrea Ohta in 2000, which Vacura now owns as well.

Chavez caps off her senior season and four year career holding on to the record for most runs in a season at 29, a feat which she accomplished in 2009.

The team record for doubles in a season is currently 39 as the 2011 Tigers came close to dismissing with 37 as a team. Shimamoto was responsible for 11 of those two-baggers and was one off the record, reached twice in Oxy history (Val Green – 2003 and Carey Crowell – 2005).

Bidding farewell to the trio of Tigers, the Occidental College softball programs looks to continue its recent success in the years to come with a solid core of returning players set to take the field again in the spring of 2012.

Article by Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director