March 17, 2009
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Stockton, Calif. -Behind freshman Amanda Collier's (Sparks, Nev.) big day at the plate, the Pacific softball team swept its double-header with Colorado State on Tuesday, March 17. Pacific picked up a 3-2 win in game one and a 7-2 win in game two to improve to 12-12 on the year while the Rams fell to 12-15 overall.
In game one of the afternoon, the Tigers entered the bottom of the seventh inning, looking for another game-ending hit in their last at-bat to come away with the game one victory. With one out Pacific got just what it was looking for from Collier who launched a walk-off double into left-center field to score pinch runner Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) and give the Tigers the 3-2 victory over Colorado State.
Claiming the win for Pacific in the circle was senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) who entered the game in the top of the seventh. Engle is now 6-7 on the year from the rubber. Kelly Eubanks took the loss for the Rams, giving up three runs on six hits in 6.1 innings of work. Eubanks dropped to 5-4 in 2009.
After Engle came in for an inning of scoreless relief in the top of the seventh, Pacific entered the final inning of the game with the score knotted at 2-2 between the two teams.
Freshman Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) led off the top of the seventh for Pacific, flying out to center field on Eubanks' first pitch of the inning. That brought sophomore Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) to the plate, who took a full-count pitch to the elbow and strolled on over to first base. Head coach Brian Kolze then brought Hendrickson in as a pinch runner for Matson at first. That was the only baserunner the Tigers would need, as Collier came up in the clutch and drove an 0-1 pitch out to left center to win the game.
Prior to the seventh, the Tigers needed a small rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase an early two run deficit given up by senior hurler Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.). Helberg got into her only trouble in the top of the third inning when she allowed two two-out runs to score in the inning after relinquishing a pair of singles into right field with runners in scoring position. For the game, Helberg posted the no decision after completing six innings of work. In the circle, Helberg gave up five hits and walked four while relinquishing just the two earned runs.
Despite the early deficit, Pacific's offense got Helberg back to even in the fifth inning, starting the inning off with a bloop single to left field from sophomore Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) After a walk and a sacrifice put runners at second and third with only one out, Pacific would get its first run of the inning with great base running by Pierce at third, scoring on a ground out to third. Senior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) who reached due to the walk, moved to third on the play and came around to score the tying run on a single to center by Collier.
Collier tied for Pacific's most hits, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Pierce also led the way with two hits in three plate appearances, and one run scored for the Tigers.
In game two, the Tigers got on the board first with a pair of runs in the first inning, taking advantage of an error to lead off and a pair of singles to do their damage. With the bases loaded and only one out, junior Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.), hitting in the No. 5 spot for the Tigers for the first time in 2009, delivered a two RBI single up the middle to start the game's scoring off for Pacific. A base running error by the Tigers would cost Pacific its second out of the inning and the Tigers would settle for just the two runs from Wilson for the inning.
In the top of the second the Rams would respond with a pair of uns of their own, knotting the game at 2-2 against freshman Michelle Tait (Mission Viejo, Calif.). The freshman pitcher, making just her second start of the year, gave up three hits in the inning to the Rams and saw a walk issued to Colorado State's Christine Thomsen come back to haunt her as the top of the Rams' order delivered with runners in scoring position. However, just as she had done in her first start of the year, Tait pitched her way out of trouble in the second and never looked back, allowing just two more base runners over the next four innings on her way to her second win of the year. Tait threw six innings for Pacific, striking out one and walking three while giving up four hits and two runs.
Tied at two, the Tigers would climb back on top in bottom of the third inning, as Tait helped herself at the plate with an infield single to second base that scored Helberg, who was pinch-running for Matson, from second. The single was Tait's first hit of her young career and drove in her first career RBI as Helberg never hesitated around third after Ashley MacQueen made a diving stop in the hole at second, but was late with her throw in an attempt to get Tait. The slow developing play at second allowed Helberg to score what would be the game's winning run.
Up one, Pacific piled it on in the fourth, posting their second crooked number of the game with a four spot in the inning to break open the game and ensure Tait of the victory in the circle. The big blow of the inning again came off the bat of Collier who blasted her third home run of the season over the left field fence to push across Pacific's final three runs of the inning. Prior to the home run, freshman Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) drove in the Tigers' first run of the inning with a single to left field that plated Hendrickson.
For the game, Emerson and Matson led the way with two hits a piece while Collier finished the game by going 1-for-2 with one walk and three RBI. For the two games, Collier finished 3-for-6 with three RBI.
Danielle Chaplin was tagged with the loss for the Rams, relinquishing 10 hits in four innings while giving up seven runs, six earned, and two walks.
Pacific will be back in action on Friday, March 20, as the Tigers kick off play at the Stanford Invitational with a game against Santa Clara at 1:15 pm.
