THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Whitworth began its six-game swing through Southern California with a sweep of California Lutheran in non-conference softball action on Friday afternoon at Sutton Field.
The Pirates (6-2) got complete-game pitching efforts from Corrine Vasiloff and Momi Lyman to sweep the Regals (0-4) by scores of 5-4 and 11-2 in five innings.
Whitworth will continue its trip with two games at Occidental on Saturday, beginning at noon.
Game 1: Whitworth 5, CLU 4
Jessica Rusconi drive in three runs to back Vasiloff and lead the Pirates to a win in the opener.
Whitworth scored two in the second when Julia Dillon and Mattea Nelson each drew bases-loaded walks.
The Bucs increased the lead to 4-0 in the third on Rusconi's two-run double that drove in Heather Menzer and Maddy Thomas.
CLU got two runs back in the third, including Mia Onesto's RBI single, but Whitworth went back up by three runs on Rusconi's home run in the fifth.
The Regals tried to rally on Vasiloff in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on an error at third base and a sacrifice fly. But Vasiloff induced Amanda Goff to fly out to left field with the potential tying run on third base.
Vasiloff scattered ten hits and allowed four runs. She struck out four without allowing a walk to improve to 3-1 this season. Rusconi finished 2-3 at the plate and had half of the Pirates' hits in the game.
Gia Marcia started the game in the circle for CLU and allowed two runs on no hits, but walked three in 2.1 innings. Sammy Edmonds (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits.
Game 2: Whitworth 11, CLU 2 (5 inn.)
The Pirates rolled to season highs for runs and hits (15) to sweep the doubleheader from the Regals.
Whitworth got two in the top of the first on an RBI double by Thomas and a run-scoring single from Menzer. CLU tied the game in the bottom half, including an RBI triple by Makayla Lopez. The Regals would not score again.
Leading 3-2, the Bucs broke the game open in the fourth inning with five runs. Haley Montoya's RBI single was followed by a three-run homer off the bat of Thomas, her second home run of the season. Taylor Hoffheins finished the rally with her second RBI single of the game.
Rylee Gentner's RBI double in the fifth started a three-run outburst. Menzer followed with a sacrifice fly and Rusconi's RBI double finished off the rally.
Lyman (3-1) was dominant in the circle after the first inning. She allowed two runs on six hits and one walk. She struck out two batters.
Montoya went 3-4 with three runs scored, while Thomas was 2-4 with four RBIs.
Three different pitchers saw action for CLU. Starter Taryn Faull (0-1) took the loss after allowing seven runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings.
