May 4, 2008

Box Score

Santa Barbara, Calif. - Behind eight runs and 11 hits, the Pacific softball team defeated UC Santa Barbara, 8-6, on Sunday, May 4, to give head coach Brian Kolze his 500th career win at Pacific. The win also snapped a four game losing skid for the Tigers as they improved to 24-32 overall and 6-12 in conference play while the Gauchos fell to 28-23 on the season and 11-7 in Big West action.

In what turned out to be a much closer game than initially thought the Tigers got off to a hot start that propelled them to their first win of the weekend against the Gauchos.

Facing MeLinda Matsumoto for the second time in as many days, the Tigers took advantage of their previous experience, knocking out five hits and four runs, running the Gauchos' starter out of the contest in just three innings of play. Pacific's first big inning came in the top of the third when the Tigers scored four times in the inning, capped off by a two run homerun to leftfield by junior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) the junior centerfielder blasted her second homerun of the season off, taking an 0-1 pitch deep with sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) aboard after a Gaucho error.

Prior to Weyman's blast, the Tigers posted two runs in the inning, all coming with two outs. Freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) started Pacific's big inning with a single into leftfield. After stealing second to get into scoring position, Matson came around to score the Tigers' first run of the game on a cue shot off the top of senior Alyce Jorgensen's (Los Altos, Calif.) bat the spun away from UCSB's shortstop and into centerfield. Jorgensen would score a run of her own on the error that put Wilson aboard.

With a 4-0 lead, the Tigers continued to press on, taking advantage of another Gauchos fielding error to post their fourth unearned run of the day in the fourth inning. After a walk put senior Mandy Hickman (Phoneix, Ariz.) aboard to begin the inning, the Gauchos made a costly mistake on a sacrifice bunt attempt by sophomore Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.). Instead of taking the out at first, Trisha Duran, UCSB's third baseman, attempted to take out the lead runner for the Tigers at second base, however, her throw was dropped at second, setting up Pacific's score.

With a runner in scoring position, junior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) made sure the Tigers would not waste their opportunity, driving home Hickman with a single through the leftside.

The Gauchos answered the Tigers single run in the fourth with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a solo homerun by Tiffany Wright to leftfield. The homerun was the first hit of the game for the Gauchos and was a sign of what was to come later.

After the Gauchos posted their first run of the game in the fourth the Tigers pushed back with a three spot of their won in the top of the fifth inning, coming within one run of posting the early victory against UCSB. After back-to-back singles to start the inning by Wilson and Weyman, Hickman put the Tigers up 8-1 with one swing of the bat, blasting a three-run homerun to dead centerfield for her third homerun of the season. The blast would prove to be the game-winner for the Tigers as the Gauchos mounted a furious comeback against Pacific over the final two innings of play after the Tigers left runners at second and third with a chance to take an eight run lead.

After shutting down a potential threat in the bottom of the fifth, Pacific starter, junior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) found herself in trouble again in the bottom of sixth, this time, however, she would not be able to get out of the jam unscathed. With the middle of the Gaucho lineup coming up to bat, UCSB posted three hits and tallied a walk against Engle, capped off by a bases clearing, three-RBI double by Jessica Beristianos. She would move to third on an errant throw home, setting up the fourth run of the inning. With three runs across, Jorgensen came into the game for the Tigers in relief of Engle, recording three quick outs, with one coming in the form of sacrifice fly.

Back in the game, the Gauchos put a scare into the Tigers in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run and putting two runners on before Jorgensen recorded the final out of the game on a foul fly to freshman Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) in leftfield.

Despite giving up five runs on five hits in five innings of work, Engle pitched well enough to pick up her 15th win of the season to move to 15-17 on the year. The win marked the first time in nine appearances that Engle posted a victory. Matsumoto picked up the loss to drop to 8-10 on the year.

The Tigers will close out the 2008 regular season with a three game set against Long Beach State beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, May 9. Game time is scheduled for 1:00 pm.