Raquel Campos
Staff Writer
Despite being swept by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday at Campus West, the softball team still secured the third seed in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament for the first time since 2022.
After losing game one, 5-0, the second game against the Athenas was intense. The Leopards started in the lead with senior right fielder Annica Luna scoring the first run off an error from CMS junior right fielder Delanie Stevens.
“It was a really exciting moment and a turning point of energy for us,” Luna said. “Just seeing everyone cheering and getting so hype for me was really exciting because my team is my family and having that support from them is always so great.”
Junior shortstop Mikayla Galaviz singled to right field, bringing freshman pinch runner Sofia Carillo home and securing the 2-0 lead.
“I was excited to contribute to my team in some way,” Carrillo said. “As soon as I stepped into the dugout, I felt everything wash away, and I knew this was something I could do. I’m looking forward to seeing how much closer the rest of this tournament is going to bring the team because we’re already so close and connected with each other.”
The score held steady until the fifth inning when the Athenas broke through, scoring seven runs against senior pitcher Jaidynn Alvarez, putting them ahead for the first time, 7-2.
“Throughout the season, we practice having a positive mindset through everything,” freshman catcher Allison Gutierrez said. “We really emphasize moving forward in moments like that, and that small reminder helps us not bring ourselves down. Our team is very energetic and we come with all the energy and our chemistry helps us build off of each other all the time.”
The Athenas scored another run in the seventh inning, resulting in the final score of 8-2.
“One thing I love about my team is that even though something might go wrong, we all always have each other’s backs and lift each other up,” Galavis said. “That’s what gets us through games. It’s a team loss and our attitude is always positive.”
La Verne will open the SCIAC postseason tournament against Chapman at 1 p.m. Friday at Redlands.
Raquel Campos can be reached at raquel.campos@laverne.edu.
Raquel Campos is a junior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Stephanie Amaya is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations and a staff photographer for the Campus Times. She has previously served as a staff writer.
