LOS ANGELES — The Occidental College softball team picked up its most impressive win of the season Saturday at Bell field, taking the second game of a doubleheader against fourth-place Cal Lutheran. After dropping the opening game, the Tigers relied on Ali Goldberg's arm to secure the split.

Game 1: Cal Lutheran 7, Occidental 2

Game 1 was locked in a pitcher's duel for the first three innings, before Cal Lutheran broke through in the top of the fourth, plating four runs. The Tigers could never catch up, falling to the Regals 7-2.

Oxy starter Emily Pham looked sharp through three, but fell victim to a Regals rally and could not escape the fourth. She gave up six hits and four runs in 3.1 innings before being removed in lieu of Amber Garland.

Garland surrendered a three-run home run to straight away center field to designated player Danika Green in the top half of the fifth, which pushed the lead to 7-0 and put the game out of reach for the Tigers, whose offense could not get going enough to manufacture a comeback.

The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the fourth, but stranded runners on second and third. They made one last attempt at a rally in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with one out, and Mariah Montgomery's single scored two, but by then the deficit was too large to overcome.

CLU starter Katelyn Downing allowed seven hits and two runs in a complete-game victory.

Shortstop Jerika Barron went 2 for 2 for the Tigers.

Game 2: Occidental 4, Cal Lutheran 1

Game 2 also provided a low-scoring affair early on. But unlike the first game, it was the Tigers who broke out offensively. Tiger starter Ali Goldberg and Regal starter Courtney Soo went toe-to-toe for four innings, but the Tiger's late rally in the bottom of the fifth was the difference in a 6-1 victory.

While neither offense did much to put pressure on the opposing pitcher through the first four innings, the Tigers pushed three across in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by first baseman Angelica Preciado's RBI-single passed the Regal's diving second baseman Kelly Lockwood. The Tigers then put together another big inning in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three more.

Goldberg put together a very impressive complete game, allowing just five hits and one run, while striking out five to pick up the win.

Designated player Jacqueline Shimamoto and centerfielder Alex Battest each collected three hits for the Tigers and Battest drove in a pair of runs.

The Tigers travel to Redlands next Friday to take on the Bulldogs. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. 

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