Feb. 22, 2008

Box Score

Palm Springs, Calif. - A game that started out well for the Pacific softball team quickly got out of hand as the No. 6 ranked Oklahoma Sooners hit a program record six homeruns to blast their way past the Pacific 14-5 in six innings in the Tigers' opening game of the Palm Springs Classic. The loss dropped the Tigers' record to 3-7 overall on the year and marked the second game this season the Tigers have lost to a ranked opponent.

In the first inning the Sooners showed signs of what was to come as they jumped out in front of Pacific, 1-0, behind a solo homerun off the bat of Savannah Long. Long sent a blast over the left center wall, a power alley in the contest that would see seven homeruns hit in that direction.

In the top of the second, the Tigers answered back with three runs in the inning to take their first and only lead of the night. After a leadoff walk was issued to sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.), freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) got into the power show with her first career homerun, lifting a Morgan Hudsonpillar pitch deep over the left center wall to put the Tigers ahead.

Pacific would tack on another in the inning on a two-out, bases loaded single up the middle by junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.). Despite posting four hits and tallying three runs in the inning, the Tigers would strand the bases loaded, leaving their best chances to score in the contest on base to end the inning.

The Sooners would make the Tigers immediately pay for leaving three runners stranded by batting around in the bottom of the second inning to put a four spot on the board to recapture the lead. The big hit in the inning came in the form of a three-run homerun from Lindsey Vandever after back-to-back walks setup the scoring chance.

In the third, Oklahoma would blow the game wide open, denting the plate for five more runs to put the Tigers in a hole they would not be able to recover from. Once again, the Sooners were used the long ball from Long to continue the rally, this time witnessing a two-run shot to left center from their shortstop.

Looking to put the game away early, the Sooners tacked on another two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a nine run lead heading into the fifth inning. After an opening walk put the leadoff runner on base, Oklahoma's Traci Dickenson let the Sooner's fifth homerun of the game rip, blasting a shot over the centerfield wall.

The Tigers would keep the game going for another inning with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, cutting the Oklahoma lead to seven runs at 12-5. One out singles by Wilson and Matson started things off for Pacific before back-to-back errors from Long allowed the Tigers' two plate both of their runs.

However, Pacific's reprieve was short lived as Vandever struck for the second time in the game, blasting a two-run shot over the left center wall to end the game in six innings.

Junior Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.), in relief of senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) picked up the loss for the Tigers to drop to 1-2 on the season. In two innings of work, Helberg relinquished seven runs, however just three were earned, while giving up seven hits and two walks. Jadyn Smith picked up her first win of the season for the Sooners in relief of Morgan Hudsonpillar. Smith gave up five hits to the Tigers in 4.1 innings of work while striking out three. She ended the Tigers rally in the second inning, striking out the lone batter she faced to halt Pacific's threat.

The Tigers play No. 7 LSU in the night cap at 8:00 pm.