Eden Griffen ’17 threw a shutout for the Softball team in a doubleheader sweep of Puget Sound.
Claremont, CA (February 9, 2015) – This week in Sagehens Athletics saw a couple of statement wins from the Women’s Water Polo team and a big road win for the Men’s Basketball team, which kept its postseason hopes alive.
Women’s Water Polo traveled to the Whittier Mini-Invitational on Saturday to play two matches against Concordia (Irvine), a scholarship NAIA program, and SCIAC rival Occidental. The Sagehens got their offense rolling with a combined 36 goals in the two contests, defeating Concordia 17-11 and Occidental 19-2. Senior All-American Alyssa Woodward ’15 led the scoring onslaught with five goals against Concordia and three against Occidental. Carter Grant ’15 scored three goals combined, while Hope Grant ’17 scored twice against Concordia, and Molly Edison ’18 had a goal in each match as well.
Softball also picked up a Saturday sweep, defeating Puget Sound 3-1 in eight innings in the opener and 9-0 in the nightcap. Eden Griffen ’17 threw a five-hit shutout to get the win in the second game, while Ashley Morello ’15 and Natalie Ireland ’18 were both 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Softball opens SCIAC play when it hosts Redlands on Friday at 12:30 p.m., followed by a non-league twin-bill with George Fox on Saturday at noon.
Joining the Saturday sweeping was Men’s Tennis, which opened up the 2015 season with SCIAC wins over Occidental at home (9-0) and Chapman on the road (8-1). Jacob Yasgoor ’17 played No. 1 singles and doubles against Occidental and earned a pair of close wins (6-2, 7-5 in singles and 9-7 in doubles). Jonathan Kim ’16 also earned a singles-doubles sweep against Occidental, while Samuel Malech ’18 picked up his first collegiate dual win in singles against Chapman. The Sagehens are off until Feb. 18, when they host Bates.
Men’s Basketball had two tight road games this week, and after falling by two points at Cal Lutheran on Tuesday, the Sagehens needed a win at La Verne on Saturday to keep realistic hopes of a SCIAC Tournament bid. The La Verne game was tight the entire second half, until a late 7-0 run turned a 59-59 tie into a 66-59 lead, capped off by a three-point play from Adrian Brandon ’15, who finished with 11 points. The Sagehens went on to win 71-64 and will try to defend their home court this week with two home games, facing Occidental on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and a surging Caltech team on Saturday at 4 p.m. (which has won two straight after defeating Whittier by 15 points on Saturday).
Women’s Basketball received a pair of monster performances from its Pitzer forwards at La Verne on Saturday, but came up just short in a 68-62 defeat. Basha Brulee-Wills ’17 had her eighth double-double in 11 SCIAC games with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Amelia Hummel ’16 added 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The Sagehens host Occidental on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and then face Caltech on Saturday at 2 p.m. this week.
Baseball opened its season by splitting four games this weekend (two with Whitworth and two with Puget Sound). The weekend ended with a wild 19-17 victory over Puget Sound on Sunday, as the Sagehens held on after building a 19-8 lead, behind a 3-for-6, two-RBI effort from shortstop Samuel Fox ’15, who also made a key defensive play in the ninth to stop Puget Sound’s late rally. Fox is hitting .444 through the first four games (8-for-18) to rank second on the team. The Sagehens open SCIAC play this weekend with a three-game series with CMS, including a home game on Friday at 2:30.
The Swimming and Diving teams fell to CMS in a battle of SCIAC unbeatens on Saturday. Kara Miller-Radest ’18 earned a win in the 200-yard butterfly for the women’s team, while Kyle Dalrymple ’17 won the 200-yard breaststroke for the men. The Sagehens are off for two weeks before competing in the SCIAC Championships from Feb. 18-22.
Three more spring sports get underway this weekend, with Men’s and Women’s Track and Field hosting Occidental on Saturday in their annual dual meet, and Men’s Golf facing La Verne on Sunday at Via Verde. Men’s Track and Field will be led by defending SCIAC individual champions Paul Messana ’17 (800 meters) and Bennett Kopperud ’16 (400-meter hurdles). Kaile Sauro ’17 will be among the top competitors for Women’s Track and Field in multiple events, Camille Matonis ’15 will be an all-conference candidate in the distance events, and Ellen Yamasaki ’15 will be back on the team to compete in the throws after studying abroad last spring. Jordan Fox ’16 will once again be among the top golfers for the Sagehens, while Brian Fong ’17 and Mitchell Weeks ’16 are both in their second seasons on the team as well.
To keep up to date with all of the action from Sagehens Athletics, follow us on line at www.sagehens.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sagehens on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sagehens (@Sagehens) and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/sagehenathletics/ (@sagehensathletics).
This Week’s Schedule
Home Events In Bold
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Men’s Basketball (H) vs. Occidental, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Women’s Basketball (H) vs. Occidental, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 13
Softball (H) vs. Redlands, 12:30 p.m. (DH)
Baseball (H) vs. CMS, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 14
Baseball at CMS, 11 a.m. (DH)
Men’s Track and Field (H) vs. Occidental, 11 a.m.
Women’s Track and Field (H) vs. Occidental, 11 a.m.
Women’s Water Polo vs. USC, 11:30 p.m. (at Cal Baptist)
Softball (H) vs. George Fox, 12 p.m. (DH)
Women’s Basketball (H) vs. Caltech, 2 p.m.
Women’s Water Polo vs. Whittier, 3:30 p.m. (at Cal Baptist)
Men’s Basketball (H) vs. Caltech, 4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 15
Women’s Water Polo vs. Cal State Northridge, 11 a.m. (at Redlands)
Men’s Golf vs. La Verne, 12 p.m. (at Via Verde)
