March 18, 2006
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific softball team picked up a pair of wins over Saint Mary's on Saturday, March 18, taking both ends of their non-conference double header. The Tigers took game one, 3-0, and game two by the score of 4-2 to improve to 14-11 on the season. The Gaels dropped to 3-19 overall on the year.
The Tigers took game one behind a stellar pitching performance out of their freshman hurler, Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before relinquishing her first hit. Engle went 6.1 innings before fiding herself in a jam in the seventh, from which senior Kristen Allen (Citrus Heights, Calif.) would get the Tigers out of, earning her second save of the season. Engle struck out nine while walking five and giving up two hits in the victory. Engle faced the minimum amount of batters needed up until the fifth inning when a walked Gael was stranded on base.
Offensively, the Tigers had trouble getting their own bats going as well, fighting and scrapping for all three of their runs in the game. Pacific got on the board in the second inning using a sacrifice fly by senior Crystal Presson (Livermore, Calif.) scoring junior Lizzie Hagen (Anaheim, Calif.) who had reached on a fielder's choice. Hagen reached bases saftely all seven times she stepped to the plate throughout the day, the lone mark against her . The lone blemmish to an otherwise perfect day came The Tigers added some insuranceperfect batting average came on the fielder's choice.
Pacific added two insurance runs in the fourth inning, taking advantage of sloppy defensive play by the Gaels to get their lead runner on, junior Jennifer Curtier (Lancaster, Calif.).
Curtier was unable to push through a hit for the second time in as many games, the first time she has gone hitless in back-to-back games this season after snapping a 14 game hitting streak on Thursday.
After Curtier advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Allen, Hagen stepped to plate and delivered a crushing blow to the Gaels, belting her third homerun of the season over the centerfield wall to give Pacific the three run lead that they would take to the completion of game one.
Game two began with the Gaels taking advantage of the Tigers' pitching as sophomore Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) had trouble finding her rhythm and control, walking the first two batters of the inning. Both runners advanced into scoring position on consecutive wild pitches, however a solid play by sophomore catcher Mandy Hickman (Phoenix, Ariz.) who gunned Bronwyn Russell down at the plate as she tried to take home on the second wild pitch.
Despite the good fortune, the Gaels were able to crack the scoreboard with a single run as Lauren Mello blooped a shot into center field that scored Michelle Mathis for Saint Mary's first score of the day.
The Tigers answered right back in the bottom of the first, once again taking advantage of poor defensive play by the Gaels. Curtier, who had reached on a fielder's choice, scored all the way from first on a double an error by the Gael's shortstop, which was compounded by an error by the Gael's leftfielder.
With the score knotted at one, the Gaels took the lead for a second time as Saint Mary's used an opening walk in the third to take a one run lead. Once again, Mathis did the damage for the Gaels, scoring on an inning ending double play by the Tigers.
The Tigers would tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth, manufacturing a single run in the inning as Pacific's offense executed to perfection in the inning. A single by freshman Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) opened the inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Presson to advance her to second. With one out, Jorgensen helped out her own cause, connecting for her first hit of the season, a single up the middle that scored Weyman.
Again in the fifth, Pacific's offense was able to execute the sacrifice play to perfection as it played out a pair of sacrifices to take the lead. Hagen opened the inning with a single which was immediately followed by a single by Curtier. With two runners on an no out, Allen, the Tigers' cleanup hitter, dropped down a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners into scoring position. From there, freshman Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.) helped out her fellow pitcher, driving a sacrifice fly to center field that was deep enough to score Hagen.
For good measure, the Tigers added another single insurance run in the bottom of th sixth inning. A one out double by Jorgensen and a pinch hit RBI single by sophomore Lindsey Garehime (Redwood City, Calif.) would be all the runs the Tigers would need for the victory.
With a two run lead, but a bit of a jam in the seventh, Allen was called upon to close the game for the TIgers. The Tigers' senior again came through, putting down all three hitters she faced, striking out one, to earn her third save of the season and second of the day. Jorgensen picked up her third win of the season, going 6.0 innings while giving up four hits, two runs, six walks while striking out four.
The Tigers will next be in action on Tuesday, March 21, as they play host to No. 14 Washington and former assistant coach Heather Tarr at Bill Simoni Field. The double header is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.
