Oct. 9, 2008

Stockton, Calif. - Playing for the first time in the new year and with a new roster, the Pacific softball team took home three victories at their fall tournament, downing San Francisco State, Nevada and Chico State in two days. The Tigers did not get a chance at a fourth win as Cal pulled out of their contest with the Tigers due to travel problems.

In the first game of the weekend for the Tigers, Pacific picked up an impressive 3-0 shutout of San Francisco State on Saturday, October 4, in their lone contest of the opening day. Pacific put together a stellar pitching performance in the circle behind the arms of senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) and freshman Michelle Tait (Mission Viejo, Calif.) who combined to shut down the Gators' bats. Offensively, freshman Amanda Collier (Sparks, Nev.) introduced herself to collegiate softball, blasting a two-run homerun for Pacific at the plate to lead the Tigers to the win.

On Sunday, October 5, the Tigers played a pair of contests, pulling out a 5-4, eight inning, win over 2008 NCAA tournament participant Nevada before blasting Chico State 7-1 to finish the tournament.

In the opening contest, the Tigers came back from a 4-3 deficit in the extra frame to defeat the Wolf Pack with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning. With a runner on second due to international tie-breaking rules, Collier again came through for Pacific, knocking in the game-tying run with a double. She would later come around to score the game-winning run for the Tigers on a single off the bat of junior Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.). In the circle, freshman Gabby McDaniel (Sacramento, Calif.) picked up the win in relief.

To close out their day, the Tigers dented the plate seven times against the Wildcats, notching five runs in the fifth inning to put away their third victory of the weekend. Pacific's offensive outburst in the fifth was capped off by a two-run single off the bat of freshman Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) that put the game out of away. In the circle, the duo of Engle and Tait once again combined to pick up the victory.

"Offensively we sputtered at times throughout the weekend, but that is expected this early in the year," said head coach Brian Kolze. "I am extremely pleased with how solid our pitching and defense was this weekend. It is nice to have a weekend in which everyone contributed to our victories."