March 29, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Opening Big West Conference play, the Pacific softball team dropped both ends of a double-header to the visiting Cal State Northridge Matadors, falling 4-1 and 4-2 on Saturday, March 29. The losses dropped Pacific to 18-21 overall and 0-2 in conference play while the Matadors improved to 13-15 overall and 2-0 in the Big West. Pacific's losses moved the Tigers' current losing skid to five games.
In the opening game of the weekend for the Tigers, Pacific held the Matador bats in check, posting their fifth one-hit ballgame in the circle in 2008. However, in what can only be described as very ominous start the Big West schedule, the Tigers held onto a no-hitter in the circle through 6.2 innings of work, but still found themselves down 4-1 heading into their final at bat of the contest.
All four of the Matadors' runs in the first game of the day came without the benefit of a hit in the scorebook as Cal State Northridge took advantage of six walks, two hit batters and a pair of errors to do their damage in the contest. In the first inning of play, junior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) allowed the first batter to reach base via a walk after two illegal pitches were called on the Tiger pitcher in the opening at bat. After retiring the next two batters she faced, and with what should have been a one-two-three inning, the problems started for the Tigers as the next three bats reached due to free passes including a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch that forced across the first run of the game.
Cal State Northridge then scored a pair of runs on the first defensive error of the game by the Tigers to post a three run first, despite not posting a single hit.
The Tigers responded in the bottom half of the inning, pushing across a single run of their own as a pair of walks setup a scoring situation that freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) did not let pass. With two runners on, Matson singled to centerfield plating sophomore Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) who had reached on a leadoff walk. The Tigers would strand runners on the corner in the inning.
In the fourth inning, the Matadors tacked on another insurance run, plating a run on a sacrifice fly to rightfield off the bat of Micah Putnam after loading the bases on three walks.
Pacific would have chances to score in fifth and the sixth innings with runners at third, however, the Tigers were unable to come up with a hit when needed, leaving eight runners on base in the contest.
The Tigers no-hitter was broken up by Amanda Peek, the conference's top hitter and the No. 4 hitter in the nation, with two outs in the seventh. Pacific outhit the Matadors 7-1 in the loss.
Engle dropped to 12-9 on the year with the loss in the circle as she lasted 4.1 innings while giving up four runs on no hits with six walks and three strikeouts. Mercendes Lovato picked up the win for the Matadors.
Game two did not go any better for the Tigers as a series of unfortunate events, missed opportunities, and timely hitting by the Matadors conspired to send them to their second defeat of the day.
Pacific jumped on the board early in game two, plating a single unearned run in the bottom of the first inning on a groundball through the legs of the Amanda Pitzenberger off the bat of senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.). Even with the fortunate bounce, the Tigers found themselves on the wrong end of a controversial third strike call that ended the inning with Pacific threatening with the bases loaded.
The Tigers inability to plate more runs in the first inning would come back to bite them in the contest as Putnam tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning, knocking an opposite field homerun to rightfield off of Jorgensen for the Matadors' first hit. In the third it was Pitzenberger who made up for her earlier defensive error with a big fly of her own over the centerfield wall to give the Matadors' their first lead of the contest.
Down one, the Tigers rallied for a single run of their own in the bottom half of the third, once again getting a run out of Jorgsensen's atbat as the senior lifted a sacrifice fly into rightfield that scored sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) who had reached early due to a walk.
The tie would be short lived for the Tigers as Cal State Northridge jumped ahead for good in the top of the fourth inning as Putnam hit her second solo homerun of the game off of Jorgensen, this time lifting a shot over the fence in left-center. The Matadors would get a fourth insurance run in the sixth inning on a defensive error by the Tigers.
Jorgensen dropped to 3-7 on the season for the Tigers as she went 3.1 innings, relinquishing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three. In relief, junior Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.) threw the final 3.2 innings of the contest, allowing one run and two hits.
Senior Mandy Hickman (Phoenix, Ariz.) led the Tigers offensively with two hits in three at bats.
Lovato, in relief of Samantha Schroeder, picked up her second win of the day against the Tigers as she pitched a scoreless 4.1 innings of relief. She gave up two hits and one walk while striking out one in the contest.
Pacific and Cal State Northridge will complete the three game conference series with a single game on Sunday, March 30 at Bill Simoni Field. Game time is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
