March 22, 2007
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Moraga, Calif. - The Pacific softball team split their doubleheader contest at Saint Mary's on Thursday, March 22, as they took the first game 7-2 before falling in the second game 7-3. The Tigers moved to 17-11 on the year while the Gaels moved to 14-15 overall.
In the first game of the doubleheader the Tigers found themselves down early as they relinquished the first run of the contest to the Gaels in the bottom of the second inning. The damage could have been worse for the Tigers as Saint Mary's was able to load the bases in the first inning, but sophomore Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) pitched her way out of the jam by inducing a groundout and a fly to center.
Down one, Pacific's offense took advantage of its second trip through the lineup as the Tigers posted three runs in the top of the third inning to give Engle a two run lead. The Tigers benefited from patience at the plate with their first two hitters as seniors Lizzie Hagen (Anaheim, Calif.) and Jennifer Curtier (Lancaster, Calif.) worked walks to start the inning. After a fielder's choice put the first out on the board for the Tigers, sophomore Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.) plated the Tigers' first run of the inning with a single down the right field line. With two outs and two still on base, freshman Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) dropped a single down the left field line to score Pacific's last two runs of the inning.
The Tigers kept things going in the fourth inning as they posted another crooked number on the board with two runs in the inning. After senior Gina Carbonatto (Lake Stevens, Wash.) roped a one out triple into right center field to get the Tigers going, Curtier cleared the bases with her fifth round-tripper of the season to left-center field. The triple was Carbonatto's third of the season, tying her for the conference's lead, and her 11th of her career placing her into third place on Pacific's all-time list. The home run was Curtier's 39th of her career.
In the fifth inning, Pacific would again tack on another two runs to give Engle a six run cushion on route to her eighth win of the season. In the fifth, Pacific took advantage of three consecutive two-out hits to plate the two runs. Carbonatto picked up the two RBI as she knocked out her third hit of the game.
Engle picked up the win for the Tigers in the circle as she went all seven innings, giving up nine hits and two runs while striking out seven. Her only jam of the game came in the first inning while her second earned run came in the bottom of the sixth inning after back-to-back doubles by the Gaels to open the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Engle struck out the side to close out the win for Pacific.
At the plate, Carbonatto was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI while sophomore Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) also posted three hits while scoring one run.
The second game of the day for the Tigers played out in a much different fashion as the roles from game one were reversed.
The Gaels again got on the board first, this time denting the plate twice in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Saint Mary's led the inning off with two infield singles to get the inning started. Holly Bergeson led things off for the Gaels, getting on base for the third time in the day. She would finish the game with three hits and the day with five.
After a double steal set Saint Mary's up with a second and third, no out, situation, the Tigers looked as if they may get out of the inning unscathed as Santos got the next to Gaels' hitters to fly out and ground out, respectively. However, Santos would not be as lucky as Engle was in the first game as Sadie Dolcini lifted her 3-2 pitch into left-center field for a bases clearing double.
The Tigers would get one run back in the top of the second inning as the bottom of their order continued to come through when called upon as freshman Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) scored the Tigers' first run of the game on a single by junior Lauren Sandelin (Sedro-Woolley, Wash.).
Down just one run the Tigers' defense fell apart in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Gaels were able to break the game open with five unearned runs in the inning. In the field, Pacific had arguably its worst fielding inning as four errors were committed.
The five free runs given to the Gaels proved to be too much for the Tigers to overcome as the bats were only able to muster two runs in the top of the fifth inning to close the final gap to four runs. Junior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) drove in both runs for the Tigers in the inning for her ninth and 10th RBIs of the season.
Santos picked up the hard luck loss for the Tigers as she went four innings in the circle, giving up six hits and seven runs, only two of which were earned. Engle finished the game for Santos as she pitched two innings of shutout ball, giving up just one hit while striking out three.
For the day, Goldsand led the Tigers with four hits in seven at bats. Curtier had two hits on the day but also knocked in two runs while scoring three herself.
Pacific will be back in action this weekend as they host the Pacific Mini Tournament at Bill Simoni Field on March 24 and 25. The Tigers will take on UNLV at 10:00 am on Saturday followed by Sacramento State at 12:00 pm. UNLV and Sacramento State will face off at 2:00 pm to close out the first day.
