April 3, 2008
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific softball team had its chances early in the contest, but could not score, falling 3-0 to Nevada on Thursday, April 3. The loss closed out the Tigers non-conference schedule as Pacific went 18-20 outside of the Big West and now sit at 19-22 overall on the year. Nevada moved to 27-13 on the season with the victory.
In each of the first four innings of play, the Tigers put runners in scoring position, only to come up just short of scoring and taking the early lead.
With two outs in the first inning, the middle of the order set the table for the Tigers as sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) and freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) came up with singles to put a runner in scoring position. However, a line shot down the third base line by senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) was stabbed out of the air by Sam Bias, stopping the Tigers in their tracks.
In the second, junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) led the inning off with a single through the leftside and advanced to second on a sacrifice by junior Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.). Once again, the Tigers were unable to bring her home with the final two outs in the inning.
The third started with two outs before a walk and a passed ball put Wilson on second, only to be left stranded as one of eight left on base throughout the day. The fourth started with a double off the rightfield wall by Jorgensen. With Weyman sacrificing Jorgensen to third, the Tigers put their second runner 60 feet from scoring with less than two outs. However, again, the Wolf Pack's Jordan McPherson was able to get out of the trouble unscathed.
With their chances unused, the Tigers finally found themselves down in the contest in the top of the sixth inning when the Wolf Pack posted a pair of runs on two hits in the inning to capture the lead. A bunt single by Brittany Puzey started the inning off for Nevada. With one on and no outs, Britton Murdock put the Wolf Pack up for good with a two-run line drive homerun down the leftfield line, keeping her shot just a few feet inside of the foul pole.
Murdock would give the Wolf Pack some insurance an inning later, singling to leftfield with the bases loaded to drive home the final run of the game. The Tigers averted further damage in the inning when freshman Lindsey Pierce gunned down the second runner trying to score on the play at the plate.
Pacific would threaten again in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with two out in the inning only to come up just short of striking pay dirt. Katie Holverson picked up the final out of the inning for the Wolf Pack in the game, inducing a pop up to her shortstop to end the ballgame and pick up her fifth save of the season.
McPherson picked up the victory for Nevada, throwing 6.2 innings of shutout softball while giving up given hits. Junior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) picked up her 10th loss of the season (13-10) as she went all seven innings in the circle, giving up three runs and seven hits while striking out four and walking five.
Pacific will be back in action on Saturday, April 5, as they step back in to Big West Conference play with a doubleheader against UC Davis. The first game is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
