Photo by samsphotoservices.com

By Jack Brancheau

LOS ANGELES — The Occidental women's softball team opened up its 2018 season with a doubleheader against the Whitworth Pirates of the Northwest Conference at Bell Field on Sunday.

Game 1: Occidental 6, Whitworth 5

After a slow start the Tigers had an exciting seventh-inning come back, scoring six runs to win the game.

Down 5-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Alexis Funaki sparked the rally with a lead off double and would later come around to put the Tigers on the board.

With the bases loaded later in the inning, Natalie Glover cleared the bases with a triple in the left center gap to bring the Tigers within one. Four batters later, Mackensie Priley tied the game with a sharp single to left field, bringing in Glover. The rally came full circle when Funaki - who led off the inning with a double - drove in Samantha Yee with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Whitworth starting pitcher, Ashley Trueblood, cruised through the first five innings allowing only one hit and no runs.

Olivia Thayer earned the win for the Tigers, picking up two strikeouts in three innings of work.

Nyla Gatison was 2 for 4 for Oxy. Glover finished the game 1 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored. 

The Tigers fell 10-0 in five innings in the second game of the doubleheader.