April 9, 2023

Another Split, Warriors Even with the Elite

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By Francisco Claudio
 
Westcliff's softball team had one more doubleheader against the No.1 team in the conference, Embry-Riddle.
 
And again the Warriors got the split which has given ERAU their only two losses in conference play and also knocked them down from first place to second.
 
On Saturday Westcliff took the first game 5-0 and lost the second 2-0.
 
It was another successful display from the Warriors who will take this result over the course of the four-game series against a tough opponent.
 
Westcliff landed the first punch in the opening game after Diamond Lewis singled to center field which advanced Celeste Huffman to third and brought in Haley Garcia to score.
 
Then in the bottom of the fourth, the Warriors set themselves up to land a couple of more blows. 
 
Left fielder Abby Strong singled up in the middle which allowed Evette Mendoza to come home for the 2-0 lead.
 
Iyari Ramirez followed with a sac bunt that allowed Olivia Pino to score the third run for Westcliff.
 
And Lewis would again come up big with a single to left center that brought in Garcia for the third run in the inning and gave Weetcliff a 4-0 lead.
 
With a triple to right field from Huffman in the bottom of the sixth, Strong crossed home plate to give the Warriors a 5-0 lead. 
 
ERAU wasn't able to match the Warriors in the first game, as the Warriors handed them their second loss in conference play.
 
Nina Hendriks, the starting pitcher for the Warriors, was elite from the mound with only six hits in seven innings and allowing zero runs to score.
 
 Hendriks got five strikeouts to an already impressive display in this series.
 
In the second game, the Warriors struggled and seemed like a different team from the first game. 
 
Westcliff was only able to get three hits in the entire game with zero runs scored.
 
ERAU scored their only two runs in the top of the fourth which would be enough to take the game and tie the series 2-2.
 
The Warriors have a current overall record of (21-14) and a conference record of (15-8).
 
They find themselves with a pretty secure spot of third place and seems like that will be where they finish when the regular season is done.
 
Up next, the Warriors will travel to Arizona to first take on OUAZ on Friday, April 14, with the first pitch at 2:00 PM.