April 18, 2009
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Fullerton, Calif. - The Pacific softball team dropped both games of their series opening double header with the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Saturday, April 18, falling 4-0 in nine innings in game one before dropping a 4-3 decision in the final game of the day. The losses dropped Pacific to 16-26 overall and 1-10 in Big West play while the Titans picked up the series victory and moved to 21-17 overall and a league best 9-2 in conference action.
Opening their series with the Titans, the Tigers got a masterful performance out of senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.), only to see her efforts in the circle go for not as Cal State Fullerton answered with their own top notch pitching out of Ari Cervantes. Dueling in the circle, the pair held their opposition scoreless through eight innings, pitching their way out of jams and scattering hits throughout the day.
However, the duel would come to a sudden end in the ninth with one swing of the bat for Cal State Fullerton. With the bases loaded and one out in the inning, Torrie Anderson put the game away with her eighth home run of the year. Anderson wasted no time ending the extra inning contest lifting the first pitch of her at bat over the left field fence, clearing the bases and sending the Titans to victory. Anderson came up with the chance to end the game after the Titans put runners on with a leadoff walk and a pair of bunts.
Prior to the ninth inning home run, the Tigers and the Titans had multiple chances to end the contest in regulation, with Pacific putting runners on base in every inning except the ninth and runners in scoring position in six of the nine innings. For Cal State Fullerton, the Titans put runners on and in scoring position in six of the nine innings, including the final and decisive inning.
Offensively, the Tigers were led by senior Lauren Weyman (Carlsbad, Calif.) and sophomore Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.) who each posted a pair or hits. Overall, the Tigers posted eight hits throughout the game while the Titans added nine. Anderson, Cervantes and Morgan LeMond each posted to for Cal State Fullerton.
After dropping game one, the Tigers finally cracked the scoreboard with their first runs of the day in game two, but could not overcome the big hits of Cal State Fullerton to hold off the double header sweep.
Pacific found itself down early to the Titans when Cal State Fullerton posted the first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. After freshman Gabby McDaniel (Sacramento, Calif.) held the Titans without a hit through the first two and two thirds innings of the game. However, a walk issued to Anderson with two outs in the third turned into the first run of the game when a fly ball to left by K.C. Craddick was lost in the sun, allowing Anderson to score from first.
Despite the let down of the first run being given up, the Tigers regrouped and responded in the top of the fifth inning with a small two-out rally that netted Pacific its first two runs of the afternoon. With one on and two outs, freshman Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) came through with the first hit of the inning against the Titans, putting runners at first and second for sophomore Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.), who was back in the Tigers starting lineup after missing most of the last month due to injury. Despite a rough first game, Matson delivered with runners aboard, driving a single into center field that allowed junior Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) to score from second while moving Emerson to third. After a walk loaded the bases, the Tigers caught a break in the contest, scoring their second run of the inning on misplayed ground ball to second base that allowed Emerson to score the go-ahead run.
Up one, the Tigers immediately found themselves trailing the Titans as Cal State Fullerton lifted its second home run of the afternoon in the bottom half of the fifth, tallying a two-run home run off the bat of Anderson. With one on and two outs in the inning, Anderson lifted an 0-2 pitch to left-center to put the Titans ahead of the Tigers, 3-2 with her second home run of the day.
Down one, Pacific tied the game in the top of the sixth, manufacturing a single run in the inning to knot the game at 3-3. With runners at the corners, senior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) hit a ground ball to third that went down as the second out of the inning. However, on the play, Pierce came into score the Tigers third run of the game, breaking for the plate as soon as the throw to first was made, sliding around the tag at the plate to post her first run of the game.
Once again, the Tigers could not hold on to the momentum gained in the top half of the inning as the Titans lifted their third home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth, to take the lead and the game from the Tigers. Francesca Gonzalez posted the game-winning hit for the Titans, launching a solo shot to left-center off of McDaniel with one out in the inning.
Pacific would go down in order in the top of the seventh to drop the second game of the double header and with it the series to the Titans. McDaniel picked up the loss for the Tigers as she relinquished four runs on four hits in 5.2 innings pitched. The freshman also struck out two and walked two. For the Titans, Krystal Heinle picked up the win as she threw all seven innings for Cal State Fullerton, giving up three runs and five hits while striking out five and walking five.
The Tigers and the Titans will finish their three game series on Sunday, April 19 with a single game at Anderson Family Field. Game time is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
