May 6, 2007
Box Score
Northridge, Calif. - Needing a win to keep pace with Cal Poly at the top of the conference the Pacific softball team came up short in the third and final game of their series with Cal State Northridge, falling 5-4 to the Matadors on Sunday, May 6. The loss gave Pacific their third straight series loss and dropped the Tigers' record to 34-19 overall and 9-6 in confernce action.
Unlike the first game between the two teams the third and decisive game came down the two offenses with the Tigers and the Matadors combining for 17 hits in the game and nine runs. Despite outhitting Cal State Northridge 10 to seven, the Tigers came up on the short end of another one run game as their comeback fell short.
Cal State Northridge jumped out front of Pacific immediately, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning to put the Tigers in a hole that would not be able to climb out of. A leadoff double by Kelly Zakosek started the rally off for the Matadors as they were able to knock out three hits in the inning including a two run shot off the bat of Christina Saenz.
Pacific would strike back in the top of the third inning to get on the board for the first time in the game with a single run. Walks to sophomore Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and senior Jennifer Curtier (Lancaster, Calif.) set the scoring chance up for the Tigers. With two runners aboard, junior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) laced a single through the left side of the infield that plated Goldsand.
Despite cutting the deficit to just two runs in the top half of the inning the Tigers were unable to hold the Matadors offense down in the bottom of the third and Cal State Northridge was able to tack on two more runs in the inning to take a commanding 5-1 lead. With two outs in the inning the bottom of the Matador order was able to come through as Megan Smith belted a two RBI double off the right center wall to do the damage for Cal State Northridge.
Undeterred by the four run hole, the Tigers offense went to work as they attempted to pull off yet another come back victory.
With one swing of the bat, Curtier cut the Matadors' four run lead in half to two as she swatted her eighth home run of the season in the fifth inning to make the score 5-3. Curtier's two run blast was set up by senior Lizzie Hagen's (Anaheim, Calif.) one out bunt single to get things going for Pacific.
In the sixth the Tigers looked to tie the game up with leadoff singles by sophomore Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) and freshman Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.). After the pair advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Vianney Campos (Guadalajara, Mexico), senior Gina Carbonatto (Lake Stevens, Wash.) put the Tigers within one run of the Matadors with a lined shot through the right side, scoring Weyman, but hit to hard to score freshman Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) who had entered the game to run for Wilson. With Hendrickson at third and only one out, Matador starter Mercedez Lovato was able to get out of the inning without any more damage to keep the Matadors one run lead intact.
In the seventh the Tigers would get their leadoff hitter on but would get no closer to scoring the tying run as Amanda Pitzenberger was able to shut down Pacific to pick up her first save of the season.
In the circle, sophomore Chelsea Engle picked up the loss to drop to 19-13 on the year as she gave up five runs on five hits in three innings of work. Jorgensen finished the game for the Tigers as she relieved Engle in the fourth inning to shut down the Matadors, giving up just two hits over the final three innings.
The Tigers will close out the regular season next week as they travel to Big West leading Cal Poly on Friday, May 11. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.
