April 26, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Snapping a four game losing streak, the Pacific softball team dominated the first game of their final home series, defeating Cal Poly 11-2 in five innings before dropping the afternoon contest, 6-3. The split moved Pacific to 23-29 overall and 5-9 in Big West play while the Mustangs improved to 19-20 on the year and 7-7 in conference action.
After struggling to find offense over the past few weeks, the Tigers brought out the bats in game one of their three game set against the Mustangs, pounding out 11 hits and 11 runs to coast to the victory.
In the bottom of the second the Tigers pair of Wilsons teamed up to bring home Pacific's first run of the contest. After sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) led the inning off with a single through the leftside, sophomore Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) drove in her five run of the day with a single up the middle.
Despite taking the opening lead, the Mustangs answered back in the top of the third inning, nothing a pair of runs to take the lead from the Tigers at 2-1. A leadoff hit batter and a sacrifice that led to no outs got the Tigers in trouble in the inning as the Mustangs used the middle of their order to score the two runs.
Down one, Pacific responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, recapturing the lead that they would not give back. A one out walk to junior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) came back to bit Anna Cahn, Cal Poly's starting pitcher, when senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) blasted her sixth homerun of the season over the centerfield fence to take back the lead for herself and the Tigers. Jorgensen was the Tigers' starting pitcher in game one.
After the damage of the third, the Mustangs made a switch in the circle, bringing into the game Robyn Kontra in relief of Cahn. That move would prove to be costly as the Tigers knocked around Kontra for six hits and eight runs in just 0.2 innings of work.
In the fourth, the Tigers sent 12 batters to the plate with junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) leading the way for the Tigers with two hits in the inning and two runs scored. With Weyman aboard to start the inning, Karie Wilson and freshman Lindsey Pierce (Castaic, Calif.) got the Tigers inning rolling, loading the bases for the top of the lineup with a single and a fielder's choice that came up empty for the Mustangs.
With the bases loaded, sophomore Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) drove in the Tigers' first run of the inning with a single up the middle that scored Weyman. After the second out of the inning was recorded, freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) broke the inning open for the Tigers with a bases clearing double into centerfield that put the Tigers up five.
Up big, the Tigers put the game out of reach and in line to end early, scoring four more runs to take a nine run advantage. Kellee Wilson picked up an RBI single to centerfield for the first run of the four while Weyman came home on a wild pitch for run number two. The final runs came home on a two-RBI single through the rightside of the infield by senior Mandy Hickman (Phoenix, Ariz.).
With the game ready to end, Jorgensen obliged with a quick three out in the top of the fifth inning to pick up her sixth win of the season. In five innings pitched, Jorgensen gave up just two hits and two runs while striking out five. Cahn, who was tagged with her 12th loss of the year, threw 3.1 innings while giving up five hits and three runs as both the starter and a relief pitcher in the contest.
After picking up an impressive 11 runs in the first game of the day, the Tigers did not have as much luck in the second contest, putting together the opportunities to score, but leaving 11 runners on base in the game.
For the second game in a row, the Tigers posted the first runs of the contest, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning to take the early lead. After a pair free passes put Pacific's two runners on for the Tigers with one out in the inning, Weyman made sure the Tigers did not waste their first opportunity to score, knocking a single down the leftfield line that brought home both runs. However, a baserunning error by the Tigers caused the third out to be recorded at third base to end the inning, a mistake that proved costly down the line.
Up two, the Tiger could not hold on to their lead, relinquishing two runs in the top of the fifth inning that would tie the game and then four in the top of the sixth inning that would give the Mustangs all the cushion they would need to even the series at a game a piece. Doing the damage for the Mustangs, Sarah Iwata posted a two-RBI double in the fifth to tie the game and a two-RBI single in the sixth to put the Tigers away to finish the contest with a career-high four RBI.
Stephanie Tam picked up the game winning RBIs in the sixth inning on her third hit of the game. She went 3-for-4 in the game with two RBI and two runs scored.
Down four, the Tigers mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. Goldsand led the inning off with a single through the rightside. She would come around to score on a sacrifice fly to rightfield by Kellee Wilson. With one run across, Pacific loaded the bases in the inning with two outs, but came up short as a ground ball to third base by Karie Wilson ended Pacific's day.
Helen Pena (7-6) picked up the win for the Mustangs, throwing a complete seven innings while giving up seven hits and three runs while striking out six. Junior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) continued to struggle to find the win column as she dropped to 14-16. Engle was charged with all six runs, five earned, in 5.1 innings of work. She gave up nine hits and walked three in the game while strking out one.
The Tigers will close out play at Bill Simoni Field for the 2008 season with the rubber game against the Mustangs on Sunday, April 27. The game is scheduled for 12:00 pm. Prior to the contest, the Tigers will honor their three departing seniors, Alyce Jorgensen, Mandy Hickman and Lauren Sandelin who will be playing their final home games.
