March 24, 2007

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - For the first time in 2007 the Pacific softball team played at home in front of a crowd at Bill Simoni Field as they hosted they faced off with UNLV and Sacramento State in the first day of the Pacific Mini Tournament on Saturday, March 24. The Tigers took the first game of the day over UNLY, 7-3, to move to 18-11 on the year.

As they have done many times before during the 2007 campaign, the Tigers found themselves playing from behind midway through their first contest of the day against UNLV. Pitching well throughout the first part of the contest, sophomore Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) found herself in her trouble for the first time in the day in the fop of the fourth inning against UNLV. After giving up a leadoff double to Brittany Bolinger, Engle hit the next Rebel batter to put two runs on to start the inning. Kendall Fern would make Engle pay for an errant pitch over the middle of the plate with a deep shot over the center field wall to put UNLV ahead, 3-0.

Despite giving up three runs in the top half of the inning, the Tigers provided some support for their starting pitcher in the bottom half of the inning as they were able to chip away and get back two of the runs given up in the half inning prior.

Just like their opponents before, the Tigers started the inning off with a hit as sophomore Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.) singled down the left field line. A walk to freshman Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) set up the scoring chance for the Tigers that sophomore Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) would take advantage of. Goldsand dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line in an attempted sacrifice, however, her speed turned the play into a hit and an error as the late throw by the Rebels' third baseman sailed high to allow Pacific's runners to advance, scoring one run. Two batters later, senior Gina Carbonattto (Lake Stevens, Wash.) plated the Tigers' second run of the inning as she lifted a sacrifice fly into center field that was deep enough to score the runner from third.

After Engle held the Rebels' bats quiet in both the fifth and the sixth innings, the Tigers again struck at Rebels, plating five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to capture the lead and the eventual victory. In the inning Pacific was helped out by another errant throw by UNLV's defense, this time however, the error prolonged the inning and brought the Tigers' top of the order to the plate early.

With a runner on first due to an error, Carbonatto was intentionally walked to bring up senior Lizzie Hagen (Anaheim, Calif.) with two on and two out in the bottom of the sixth. After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, Hagen had one of the best at bats of the season for the Tigers, fighting off multiple 3-2 pitches until she finally got one that she could drive, lacing a shot over third base and down the left field line to give the Tigers the lead.

With Hagen on base, senior Jennifer Curtier (Lancaster, Calif.) came to the plate looking to add to the Tigers' new lead. Curtier, who had been walked in each of her first three at bats of the game, did just that, crushing a shot over the right field wall for her sixth home run of the season and 40th of her career. One pitch later, the Tigers would tack on their fifth and final run onto the board as junior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) followed Curtier with a home run of her own, flying a solo shot over the left center wall.

In the seventh, Engle finished off the Rebels in order with three consecutive infield popups to end the game. With the win Engle moved to 9-7 on the year. She threw a complete 7.0 innings for the Tigers, relinquishing five hits and three runs while striking out six.

At the plate, Curtier was a perfect 1-for-1 with three walks, two RBI and one run scored. Goldsand finished the game 2-for-3 and was the only Tiger to record multiple hits in the contest.

For the Rebels, Christie Robinson picked up the loss in relief for the Rebels as she threw just two thirds of an inning, giving up three hits and five runs, all of them were unearned.