April 12, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Riverside, Calif. - Behind a strong showing in game two, the Pacific softball team salvaged a split with UC Riverside on Saturday, April 12. The Highlanders (16-25, 2-5) captured game one 2-0 before the Tigers (22-24, 4-4) stormed back to take game two, 5-1.
The first game of the day proved to be a battle of starting pitchers with junior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) going toe-to-toe with Christin Songer for the Highlanders. With both pitchers throwing well, the game hinged on defense as the Tigers committed more mistakes in the field than their opponents, eventually costing them the game.
With the game scoreless heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Engle got into trouble with an opening walk to put the Highlanders' leadoff batter on base. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second, UC Riverside finally broke the tie with the first run of the game on a fly ball lifted into leftfield by Kristie Martinez.
With the ball in the air as the potential second out, the Tigers committed their third error of the game as freshman Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) miss judged the ball, allowing Martinez to reach base while Veronica Yee, who reached on the walk, came into to score on the play. On the play Martinez moved to second on the throw home and would later come around to score on a two-out single down the leftfield line by Taylor Thomas.
The two runs scored in the inning would be all Songer would need to pick up the victory for the Highlanders as she hald the Tigers without a run as Pacific managed three hits. Two of those hits came off the bat of junior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.), including a single in the first inning that followed a walk to sophomore Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) as Pacific put the first two batters of the game on base. However, the Tigers would strand both runners, leaving five runners on throughout the contest.
Engle (14-12) picked up the hard luck loss for the Tigers as she went six innings while giving up four hits and three walks while striking out three. Songer (7-5) grabbed the win with a complete game, striking out 10 while walking just two.
Down after game one, the Tigers responded in the second game of the day to even the series at one game a piece with a solid all-around effort. Flipping the tables on the Highlanders, senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) held UC Riverside to just three hits in seven innings of work to give Pacific the chance at victory. In addition to the three hits, Jorgensen (5-7) gave up just one run and three walks while striking out six.
After one trip through the lineup over the first two innings of work, the Tigers put their first runs of the day on the board in the third inning of play as Pacific posted three runs in the inning to take a lead they would not relinquish. Pierce, who committed a crucial error in the first game, made up for her mistake in the second game, starting the Tigers third off with a single to centerfield. Pierced finished the game with two hits in three at bats, scoring both times she reached base.
With Pierce on, Hendrickson followed with a chop single to the leftside of the infield, putting runners at first and second. A failed pickoff of Hendrickson allowed Pierce to move to third, putting a runner just 60 feet from scoring. After the first out of the inning was recorded on a diving grab of a line drive off the bat of Goldsand, sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) made sure the Tigers did not waste their scoring opportunity, lacing a single into centerfield that would plate Pierce.
Hendrickson moved to third on the hit while Wilson used the play at third to move herself into scoring position at second. A walk to freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) loaded the bases for the Tigers and for Jorgensen who helped herself in the circle by roping a single through the leftside, scoring both Hendrickson and Wilson to put Pacific up 3-0.
In the fifth, the Highlanders got one run back from the Tigers on a pinch-hit single by Tiana Towns that scored Krystal Marquez who had reached on a leadoff walk.
Despite the one run across and their lead cut to two runs, the Tigers put the game away in the top of the seventh inning, driving in two more runs in the contest to go up 5-1. With sophomore Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) reaching on a leadoff walk followed by Pierce's second single of the day, the Tigers put themselves into position to put up another crooked number on the scoreboard in the inning. Kellee Wilson obliged for the second time in the game, lining a double down the leftfield line that accounted for her 36th and 37th RBIs of the season.
The win for the Tigers ended an eight game losing streak on the road for Pacific in 2008, moving them to 1-8 in road events on the year.
Pacific will look to capture its second straight Big West series with the rubber game against the Highlanders at Anderson Field. The game is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
