On Feb. 22, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) softball claimed a 2-1 series victory against rivals Pomona-Pitzer (P-P). A hard-fought slate of games stretched across two weekends due to a stadium lighting malfunction.
SCIAC preseason rankings placed the Athenas tied for second place with Chapman, while the Sagehens placed fourth. The Athenas took two of three in last season’s series, the second consecutive year they had done so.
The Athenas dominated game one, led by the efforts of infielder Averi O CM ’27. O’s two-run hit in the seventh inning, alongside an RBI double from first baseman Alex Wedemeyer SC ’28, ensured a comfortable 4-1 victory. For the Sagehens, outfielder Natalie Murguia PO ’26 came home for their only score of the day on a hit off the bat of catcher Kylie Liu PO ’26 in the sixth.
In an attempt to rebound in game two, Murguia led the way for P-P with one run and an RBI, while Liu and Gianna Phillips PO ’29 added two hits each to give the Sagehens a 4-0 lead.
The Athenas responded late, with first baseman Avia Tuguldur CM ’28 and outfielder Giselle Lai CM ’27 each driving in runs. Undeterred, the Sagehens closed out the game through the efforts of relief pitcher Ava Bautista PO ’29, who secured the game’s final out, securing the 4-3 victory.
Reflecting on the team’s performance in game two, Phillips concluded that the team needed to improve their play to increase their chances of victory in the decider.
“We clutched up,” Phillips said. “Going into game three, we thought we really needed to push ourselves further and get that win for the series.”
Accordingly, game three proved a competitive affair. Although CMS took an early lead off the efforts of Tuguldur, the Sagehens quickly responded, with first baseman Sophia Roberts PO ’27 scoring off a hit by Bautista.
Both Liu and Phillips drove in second baseman Sadie Huryn PO ’29 on separate occasions to give P-P a 3-2 lead going into the 5th. Huryn scored again in the 7th, thanks to a Roberts single.
At the end of regulation, however, it was all CMS; Tuguldur’s hit tied the score at 4-4, plating outfielder Ana Federico CM ’27 and outfielder Delanie Stevens CM ’27. However, neither team scored again before the game was suspended due to a lighting malfunction in the darkness, with play resuming the following Sunday, Feb. 22.
Both teams stressed the importance of the deciding win despite the week-long gap between regulation and the extra innings. For O, it was important for her team to stay focused despite the delay, even as the Athenas played another opponent prior to concluding the match against P-P.
“We really put emphasis on trying to be in the mindset [as] if we had played the game continuously,” O said. “We also played Chapman all weekend, and we were coming off of a lot of softball, which helped.”
That preparation over the week certainly paid off in the end. Four pitches were all it took for the Athenas to walk it off. Stevens hit a drive to left-center field to bring in second baseman Hina Usuda CM ’29 and close out the rivalry series with an extra-innings win. Celebration ensued, with the Athenas rejoicing in the victory a week in the making.
“Especially after today, we’re super excited,” O said. “It’s always especially nice to beat Pomona[-Pitzer], but we’re always focused right away on the next series.”
Despite the loss, P-P was undeterred. Instead, the Sagehens found new motivation in their defeat, eagerly looking forward to their next series.
“Everyone is super excited and fired up to just play,” Murguia said. “Typically, we don’t open up with CMS or any SCIAC school for our home opener, and in these next few games, people will be super fired up, especially playing under a little less pressure against a non-SCIAC opponent.”
For Murguia and her fellow seniors, setting an early example is important for success through the rest of the spring and for enjoying every moment of their final season.
“As a senior leader, setting the tone is something that I feel responsible for, but I also am having a lot of fun with it, given that it’s my senior season,” Murguia said. “Every opportunity is a chance to shine, and just do what I love.”
P-P returns to the diamond at Wig Field on Friday, Feb. 27, to kick off a two-game set against Lewis and Clark, the 2025 Northwest Conference runner-ups. CMS will take two weeks off before facing the 1-5 Hamline University Pipers on Friday, March 13, on Athena Field.
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