May 10, 2008

Box Score

Long Beach, Calif. - Closing out the 2008 regular season, the Pacific softball team was outdueled by No. 16 Long Beach State, falling 1-0 to the Big West champions. The loss ended the Tigers season at 25-34 overall and 7-14 in conference play while the 49ers improved to 39-15 on the year and 15-6 in conference action.

Dueling with the conference's top pitcher in Brooke Turner, senior Alyce Jorgensen (Los Altos, Calif.) had one of her best performances in the circle this season in what would be her last appearance as a Tiger. In a classic pitcher's duel, Jorgensen and Turner went pitch for pitch with one another with a single run being the difference in the contest for the 49ers.

The lone run of the game for Long Beach State came in the bottom of the second inning as they turned a Tiger defensive miscue into one run in support of Turner. With a runner on due to Pacific's lone error, Ashley Weber made the Tigers pay with an RBI triple to leftcenter, plating the first and only run of the contest. The triple by Weber was the only 49er hit through the first five innings of the game against Jorgensen as she retired Long Beach State in order in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings.

With one run across, Turner went to work, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard for the second straight game despite Pacific's best efforts. The Tigers had their chances against the 49ers throughout the contest, knocking out four hits and putting runners on base in four out of the seven innings and runners in scoring position in three of the seven innings, only to come up with out a run.

Pacific's best chance of the afternoon came in the fourth inning after junior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) started the inning off with an infield single, marking her 61st hit of the season, tying her mark from a season ago. After reaching base safely, Goldsand made her way to third on a pair of ground outs to setup the Tigers best scoring chance. She would be one of six Tiger runners to be left on base throughout the contest.

In her final performance in the circle, Jorgensen threw six innings while giving up three hits with two coming in the bottom of the sixth. She gave up one unearned run while striking out two and walking to end the season at 7-10. For Turner, the freshman hurler picked up her 26th win of the season to improve to 26-4. In seven complete innings, Turner gave up four hits while striking out seven and walking two.