LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Occidental (7-29, 4-17) had a thrilling day at Bell Field on Saturday, first edging out Cal Lutheran (14-22, 6-14) 6-5 before securing a 4-0 shutout victory later in the day.
In the opener, Occidental played a close game against Cal Lutheran, with the decisive play coming in the seventh inning when Occidental scored four runs to clinch the win. The action began in the third inning, where
Anna Kim's aggressive base running paid off as she stole second and third, eventually scoring on a throwing error to give Occidental an early lead of 1-0.
Cal Lutheran responded in the fourth inning, with Sofia Aviles scoring on a single up the middle, tying the game at 1-1. Occidental regained the lead in the fifth inning when
Jordan Lebsock hit a double to right center, driving in two runs. However, Cal Lutheran countered with two runs in their half of the fifth, taking a 3-2 lead.
Trailing in the final inning, Occidental mounted a strong comeback.
Alysha Wagner walked and advanced on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Kim's clutch RBI triple. Kim later scored on a groundout by
Rachel Rotunno, and with the game still tied,
Kadence Bernard delivered a decisive double to right center, driving in two runs and securing the 6-5 victory.
Anna Kim led the offense with three hits, including a triple, scored three runs, and stole two bases.
Jordan Lebsock contributed significantly with a double and two RBIs.
Kadence Bernard also drove in two runs with her double. Pitcher
Sam Alfaro completed the game, earning the win despite allowing four earned runs over 7 innings.
In the second game, Occidental continued its momentum with a strong pitching performance, recording its first shutout of the season.
Jacynda Lindsay pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits while striking out three batters.
Occidental struck first in the second inning when
Amarie Bolen scored off an RBI single by
Anna Kim, putting the home team ahead 1-0. In the fifth inning, Kim scored again after reaching on a single and advancing on a stolen base, with
Jordan Lebsock's RBI single bringing her home to extend the lead to 2-0.
The sixth inning saw Occidental capitalize on errors, as
Sam Palacio scored on a fielder's choice by
Rachel Rotunno, and Kim scored an unearned run, increasing the lead to 4-0. The final score was 4-0 in favor of Occidental.
Anna Kim was once again a standout, scoring two runs, totaling two hits, and collecting one stolen base.
Jordan Lebsock recorded two hits and drove in one run, while
Amarie Bolen added two hits and scored once.
Jacynda Lindsay's impressive complete game included no earned runs and three strikeouts over 7 innings.
With these two games, Occidental improved to a record of 7-29 overall and 4-17 in conference play, while Cal Lutheran holds a record of 14-23 and is 6-15 in the conference.
