March 21, 2009
Winthrop Box Score
Princeton Box Score
Stanford, Calif. - Behind a one-out, seventh inning rally in game two of the day for the Pacific softball team, the Tigers earned a split in play at the Stanford Invitational, falling 3-1 to Winthrop before defeating Princeton, 6-5. The Tigers improved their record to 14-13 overall and 2-1 at the tournament with the split on Saturday, March 21, in day two action at the tournament.
In the first game of the day for the Tigers, Pacific fell behind the Eagles in the top of the third inning, giving up an unearned run in the inning on a pair of errors. Senior Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.) pitched her way out of the inning without any further damage, stranding two runners on base in the inning.
Down one, the Tigers evened the score at 1-1 an inning later in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by senior Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.). Santos, playing in her first game in over a week after missing the Tigers' last six contests, delivered the game-tying hit with freshman Alexa Rivera (Sacramento, Calif.) on second after reaching on a fielder's choice and advancing into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by junior Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.).
The tie score would not last long as the Tigers relinquished the lead back to Winthrop in the top of the fourth inning, giving up a single run that would prove to be the eventual game-winner. A one-out walk issued to the bottom of the Eagle order would prove costly when Tessa Thomas and Lisa Kingsmore delivered back-to-back singles at the top of the lineup to plate the go-ahead run. In the top of the fifth, Winthrop would add a third insurance run to their total.
In the circle, Helberg picked up her fourth loss of the year to fall to 4-4 on the year. In seven innings, Helberg gave up five hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out four and walking three. Taylor Wright picked up the win for the Eagles, pitching four innings while giving up three hits and one run. Megan Evans earned the save with three innings of shutout pitching.
Game two would start in the same manner for the Tigers, but end in stellar fashion as the Tigers rallied in their final at bat to post their second win of the tournament.
Down 5-4 heading into the seventh, the Tigers posted their second come-from-behind victory in as many weeks, courtesy of sophomore Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) who entered the seventh as a pinch-hitter for Pacific. With runners at first and second and only one out in the inning, Matson stepped to the plate and delivered a two-RBI single to left-center field, plating freshmen Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) and Amanda Collier (Sparks, Nev.) in the process. Pacific picked up its opportunity after sophomore Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) and Emerson worked walks to being the inning while Collier reached first on a fielder's choice hit to third.
Prior to their last inning rally, the Tigers set themselves up for the comeback by scoring a pair of runs in both the fourth and the fifth innings to keep close to Princeton which looked to break open the contest. Princeton cracked the scoreboard first in the game, picking up an unearned run in the bottom of the third on two Tiger errors as Pacific's defensive problems from the first game carried over to game two.
Despite finding themselves playing from behind, Pacific responded with their first runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning, picking up a big hit off the bat of Collier to take their first lead of the contest. With Helberg aboard after leading off the inning with a single up the middle, Collier blasted a shot over the left field fence to break through with her first hit of the day. The home run was the fourth of the season for the freshman who is tied for the team lead.
Back in front, the Tigers' would have little time to celebrate after Princeton immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning with their first crooked number of the morning on the scoreboard. Behind four hits and one Tiger error, Princeton would post four runs in the inning to grab hold of a 5-2 lead. Again, Pacific stormed immediately back in its next trip to the plate behind a pair of leadoff doubles to start the inning.
Kellee Wilson posted knocked home the first run of the inning with the second of her three hits in the game, lining a double over the left fielder's head to run home Rivera who began the inning with a double to the left-center gap. Wilson would make her way around to score the fourth run of the game on a chopped sacrifice to short by junior Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) who picked up just her second RBI of the season.
Benefiting from Pacific's late comeback was freshman Gabby McDaniel (Sacramento, Calif.) who entered the game for the Tigers in the sixth inning in relief of senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.). McDaniel gave up just one hit in two innings pitched to earn her second win of the season and second win of the tournament for Pacific. Engle threw five innings for the Tigers giving up seven hits and five runs, two earned, while striking out six and walking one.
For Princeton, Michelle Tolfa picked up the loss after giving up eight hits and six runs in seven innings pitched. Offensively, Kelsey VandeBergh and Kathryn Welch each posted a pair of hits in four at bats while Jamie Lettire led the way with two runs driven in.
The Tigers will close out play at the Stanford Invitational on Sunday, March 22, with a pair of games at Smith Family Stadium. Pacific will take on Santa Clara at 11:15 am before facing off with tournament host, and No. 4 ranked Stanford at 1:15 pm.
