March 8, 2008
vs. No. 1 Arizona State Box Score
vs Utah Box Score
Tempe, Ariz. - Playing a late pair of games in day two of the Diamond Devil Invitational, the Pacific softball team came away with a split on Saturday, March 8. The Tigers fell in the early game, 10-3, to No. 1 Arizona State before capturing the night cap, 4-1, over Utah. The split moved the Tigers to 11-13 on the season.
Taking on the nation's best in their first game of the day, Pacific could not find its way against the Sun Devils, giving up an early lead in the first inning and never recovering. The Tigers were able to get on the board first, taking advantage of a leadoff error to manufacture the early run. Junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) picked up the RBI in the inning for Pacific on an RBI groundout that scored freshman Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) who had reached on the error.
After picking up the first run of the game, the wheels began to fall off for the Tigers as the Sun Devils posted a pair of runs in both the first and the second inning to take a three run lead. In both innings, Arizona State loaded the bases with an array of hits and walks while also witnessing Kristen Miller pick up free RBI's on bases loaded walks. Miller would finish the day 0-1, officially, despite picking up a team-best three RBI, all on bases loaded walks.
The Tigers scored two in the top of the third to climb within one run, however, Arizona State would break the game open in the fourth, posting four runs while picking up just two hits in the inning. They would tack on two more in the sixth for more insurance.
Junior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) saw her five game winning streak come to an end as she picked up the loss in the circle for the Tigers. Engle was charged with eight runs in 3.0 innings pitched despite giving up just five hits. Engle's control disappeared in the loss, walking a season-high nine batters while striking out five. Her counterpart, Megan Elliot, picked up her ninth win of the season, relinquishing seven hits and three runs in seven innings of work.
In the second game of the day, the Tigers got back on track, downing the Utes in the night cap behind a resurgent Engle in the circle. Pitching back-to-back games for the first time this season, Engle found the control that eluded her against Arizona State, holding the Utes to just four hits while walking two in the contest.
After giving up a run in the first inning despite not seeing the ball leave the infield, Engle kept the Utes under raps for the remainder of the contest. Engle saw just one runner reach third in the final six innings of the contest, pitching her way out of a one out jam with little trouble.
Pacific's offense posted all four of its runs in the bottom of the third inning, benefiting from a defensive error to get their four run rally started. The inning started on a double down the leftfield line by junior Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.). Following the double, the Tigers put the next two batters on base vi0a the free pass to put runners on every base. After loading the bases with the first three batters of the inning, the Tigers' appeared as if they were going to come away from the inning with nothing to show for their play.
While the first two outs of the inning were recorded on a pair of fielder's choices, Pacific posted its first two runs of the inning on a dropped pop up by the Utes' third baseman on a pop up by Weyman. With the first two runs across, sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) added to her team-leading RBI total with a single down the leftfield line to plate the third run of the inning. Freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) followed suit with a single to left of her own. Weyman would score on the play as an errant throw to the plate would get to the backstop, allowing Weyman to come home uncontested.
The win improved Engle's record on the year to 9-5 while Ashley Smuda fell to 7-4.
Pacific will close out play at the Diamond Devil Invitational tomorrow, Sunday, March 9 as they take on No. 17 San Diego State for the second time. The game is scheduled for 10:00 am PST.
