THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Senior captain and starting pitcher
Sadie Leonard earned a complete-game, seven-inning victory, giving up only one run and striking out 13, during a 7-1 triumph against California Lutheran University in Game 1 of a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Hutton Field.
The Regals (8-15) won the second game, 10-2, in five innings over the Ephs (2-6). During the doubleheader, first-year
Miya Fujimoto finished 4-of-7 batting, with three runs and one double, while junior
Justine Dunaway (3 for 6, 6 RBIs, 1 run, 1 walk), senior captain
Alysa DeQuiroz (3 of 7, 2 RBIs, 1 run), and first-year
Ayane Rokugawa (3 of 7, 2 runs) each finished with three hits.
During Game 1, Leonard retired the first 11 batters, including posting 1-2-3 innings in the first, second and third. In the top half of the first, Fujimoto led off with a bunt single. She scored the game's first run three at-bats later on an RBI off a fielder's choice by Dunaway. Williams gained some breathing room in the fifth, as Rokugawa crossed home on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Dunaway.
The Ephs took a commanding 7-0 lead with a five-run effort in the seventh, which included a three-run homer by Dunaway and RBI singles by DeQuiroz and sophomore
Aleks Albert. An RBI single by Kate Brandeberry in the bottom half of the seventh put the Regals on the scoreboard.
Fujimoto went 3-for-4 batting, with two runs and one double, while Dunaway went 2 of 4 in the batter's box, with five RBIs and one run, in the opening game. DeQuiroz was 2-for-4 batting, with one RBI and one run, while Williams held a 13-4 advantage in hits and did not commit a single error.
Williams, which tallied seven hits in the second game, raced out to a 2-0 advantage in the top half of the first. DeQuiroz and Dunaway recorded back-to-back RBI singles. California Lutheran responded with 10 straight runs, scoring three in the second, third and fourth, respectively, and then Jessica Waters tacked on the game-ending, RBI double in the bottom half of the fifth.
Albert went 2-for-2 batting in Game 2 for the visitors. Olivia Oergel improved to 2-0 in the circle on the season for the Regals, giving up only one earned run in five innings.
The Ephs will compete against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday in a doubleheader, with game times set for noon and 2 p.m. Pacific Time in Claremont, California.
