March 7, 2008
Box Score
Tempe, Ariz. - Poor play in the field halted a three game winning streak for the Pacific softball team as the Tigers fell to San Diego, 5-4, to open the Diamond Devil Invitational on Friday, March 7. The loss dropped the Tigers' to 9-12 on the year while the Toreros improved to 7-13.
After winning their last three games, the Tigers came out in the opening game of the Diamond Devil Invitational, and suffered a tough loss to the Toreros, watching a 4-1 lead split away in the late innings. Once again, defensive miscues and mental mistakes caught up with the Tigers as the Toreros used Pacific's mistakes to post four late runs, including a single run in the bottom of the seventh to steal away the victory.
Pacific took the early advantage on San Diego, scoring a single run in the second inning on a bases loaded walk to sophomore Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.). In the third, the Tigers added two more runs, using three straight hits from the middle of their lineup to get the job done.
Sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) got the inning started with a one-out single that followed a leadoff walk to junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.). With two on, freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) doubled down the rightfield line to plate the first run of the inning. Senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) continued the hits with a single through the leftside, plating the second run of the inning.
The first shred of light for the Toreros started to come through in the bottom half of the third inning as they were finally able to post their first run of the contest, using a pair of singles to cut the Tigers' lead to 3-1.
Pacific answered back in the fifth with another single run, once again posting three consecutive hits through the middle of the order to score the run. Jorgensen picked up her second RBI of the contest in the inning on a single to leftfield, however, the Tigers would strand the bases loaded for the second time in the game, a problem that would come back to bite them.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Toreros posted a pair of runs to cut the Tigers' lead to just one run, taking advantage of mental mistakes in the field to score their runs. After a pair of leadoff walks put two runners aboard, San Diego scored two runs on a single to rightfield by Jennifer Ellenbeck as the Tigers could not get the first runner at the plate. Pacific would allow the second run to score on a throw down to second when Ellenbeck took the extra base on the original play at the plate.
Pacific's one run lead would disappear the very next inning as San Diego would score their first unearned run of the game on a fielding error by the Tigers. With the writing on the wall, the Tigers would see the final straw break in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Toreros pushed across the game's winning run on a pair of singles with the RBI going to Carey Casciola.
Junior Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.) picked up the loss for the Tigers as she fell to 2-4 on the season. In 6.2 innings of work, Helberg relinquished eight hits and five runs while walking four and striking out four. Kristen Gensler picked up the win for the Toreros as she pitched three innings of scoreless relief to pick up her first win of the year. Gensler held the Tigers' in check, keeping the Tigers without a hit while allowing just one baserunner due to a walk while striking out one.
Matson led the way for the Tigers' offensively as she posted three hits in four at bats with one RBI. Wilson and Jorgensen each finished the morning with a pair of hits while Jorgensen posted two RBI in the game.
