March 22, 2009
Santa Clara Box Score
No. 4 Stanford Box Score
Stanford, Calif. - For the second straight day, the Pacific softball team earned a split in the days action at the Stanford Invitational, defeating Santa Clara, 8-4, before falling to No. 4 Stanford, 6-0. The Tigers finished their final regular season tournament at 3-2 while improving to 15-14 on the year.
Playing the Broncos for the second time at the Invitational, Pacific found themselves in an early hole as the designated home team for the contest after giving up a run in the top of the first inning. With only one hit in the inning, the Broncos posted their first run of the game with help from the Tigers as a pair of walks loaded the bases and a hit batter pushed home the only run of the inning.
Despite giving up their first run of the weekend to the Broncos, the Tigers wasted no time getting back out front of the pack. Finding themselves on the right side of a defensive error that scored the first unearned run of the inning, Pacific did not let its new life go to waste in the first, plating two more runs in the inning on a two RBI double from senior Briana Santos (Garden Grove, Calif.). In the second, Pacific would score a fourth run, again on an extra base hit as freshman Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) chased home sophomore Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) on a double to the right side of the infield.
Emerson's shot through the right side was nearly picked up by Megan Smith at second base, but her stretch into the hole and behind first base resulted in the ball squirting into foul territory in right field. The resulting loose ball allowed Emerson to make her way to second and eventually third on the throw home, drawn by Pierce scoring the fourth run of the game.
In the third, the Tigers would add the insurance runs they would need to put away the Broncos for good, posting their second three run inning of the contest. Back-to-back singles by junior Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) and freshman Alexa Rivera (Sacramento, Calif.) led to the Tigers crooked number on the board. After moving to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Santos, the bottom third of the Tigers' order made the scoring opportunity count as junior Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) and senior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) each delivered RBI hits into the gaps in right and left-center field, while junior Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) brought home the seventh run of the contest with a chopped sacrifice to second. Pacific would add an eighth run in the fourth, again making use of a Bronco error to secure the run.
Down big, the Broncos did make a game of the contest in the final four innings of play, scoring a pair of unearned runs against the Tigers and senior Heidi Helberg (Brentwood, Calif.) in the fourth while adding a single run in the sixth against senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) to pull the final score to 8-4. Helberg picked up her fifth win of the season for the Tigers pitching four innings in the circle while giving up three hits and three runs, only one earned. Additionally, she struck out three while walking two. Earning her second save of the season, Engle gave up two hits and one run in her three innings of relief while striking out three and walking three.
In their final game of the tournament, the Tigers would run into one of the top teams in the nation in the No. 4 ranked Cardinal, keeping close throughout the game before suffering a big inning in the sixth that put the contest away.
Called to throw against the Cardinal, who entered the game riding a 26 game winning streak and owners of a 27-1 record, freshman Gabby McDaniel (Sacramento, Calif.) found herself in a duel with Missy Pena throughout the entire contest. In the first, McDaniel pitched her way out of a bases loaded jam, inducing a fly ball to left before sitting the final batter of the inning down on strikes. In the second, McDaniel struck out the first two batters she faced to record a quick three out inning.
Starting well, McDaniel found herself in trouble again in the bottom of the third after having to face the top of the order for the second time. Alissa Haber, who entered the game flirting with a .500 average started the inning off with her second single of the game. After stealing second, Haber came around to score the first run of the game for Stanford on a double to left-center from Ashley Hansen. Despite suffering her first blemish of the game, McDaniel continued to battle the Cardinal, pitching her way out of another bases loaded jam in the inning before setting Stanford down in both the fourth and the fifth inning.
In the sixth, McDaniel would finally succumb to the Cardinal hitting, giving up a pair of runs on a two RBI triple after facing the top of the order for the fourth time in the contest. Stanford would add three more unearned runs in the inning to pad their lead to six runs.
Overall, McDaniel dropped the decision to Pena as she relinquished nine hits and six runs, three earned, over six innings pitched. The freshman also added seven strike outs to her season total, one off of her career-high set two days earlier against Santa Clara. Pena picked up her 18th win of the season as she threw a complete game shutout for the Cardinal, giving up three hits and striking out 10 in seven innings of action.
Offensively, Pacific had a pair of chances to get on the board against the Cardinal, putting a runner in scoring position in both the first and third inning, only to see Pena pitch her way out of trouble.
Pacific will next be in action on Wednesday, March 25, at Bill Simoni Field as the Tigers host No. 7 California at 2:00 pm.
