April 19, 2009
Box Score
Fullerton, Calif. - Despite taking a late lead against the Titans in the fifth, the Pacific softball team could not hold on for the series ending victory against Cal State Fullerton, falling 4-1 on Sunday, April 19. The loss dropped the Tigers to 16-25 overall and 1-11 in conference play while the league leading Titans improved to 22-17 overall and 10-2 in the Big West.
Looking to get on track and come away with a victory in the third and final game of their 2009 series with the Titans, the Tigers relinquished a late lead to Cal State Fullerton as the host Titan scored four runs in their final two at bats to pick up their second come-from-behind victory of the weekend.
In a battle of game one starters, senior Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) and Ari Cervantes locked horns in a second straight pitchers duel as the duo held their opposition scoreless and in check through the first four innings of play. Helping the cause was the defense behind the circle as both teams came up with spectacular plays in the field. Most notably, junior Brittany Hendrickson (San Jose, Calif.) came up with the defensive play of the game early for Pacific when she stole a home run from Lauren Lupinetti.
Having saved a run early, the Tigers finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning, benefiting from defensive miscues in the field by the Titans to pick up their first run of the game. Junior Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) led the inning off with a one-out single through the left side of the infield. She would advance to second on an error by Francesca Gonzales at third on a chopped ground ball off the bat of sophomore Lindsey Pierce (Camarillo, Calif.).
With runners at first and second the Tigers would pick up the lone run of the game on a pair of errors after Cervantes picked up the second out of the inning via a strike out. Trying to end the inning for her pitcher, Lupinetti threw behind Pierce at first, attempting to pick off Pierce for the third out. Her throw would get away from K.C. Craddick at first and into foul territory. With the ball loose, freshman Erin Stephens (Davis, Calif.) who was in the game as a pinch-runner moved to third while Pierce broke for second. With the Tigers moving on the base paths, Craddick made a play for Pierce at second, throwing the ball away into left field, allowing Stephens to score, putting the Tigers up 1-0.
Up one run, the Tigers lead would not last an inning as the Titans came back in the bottom of the fifth with a singled run as Torrie Anderson, the game-winner from game one, singled home Cervantes who led the inning off with a cue shot infield single to third.
Tied at one, the Titans would take the game in the bottom of the sixth on their fourth home run of the weekend. On the first pitch of the inning, Gonzales would make up for her earlier defensive error with a solo shot to left field, posting her second game-winning home run of the weekend, duplicating her feat from game two of the series. Cal State Fullerton would add two more runs to their total in the inning to put the game away for Cervantes.
Engle would pick up the loss for the Tigers as she dropped to 7-12 on the year. In the circle, Engle threw five innings while giving up six hits and two runs while striking out three and walking two. For Cervantes, the Titan pitcher would improve to 15-9 on the year and 2-0 on the weekend, relinquishing one run on four hits in seven complete innings pitched.
Pacific will be back in action on Saturday, April 25 at Bill Simoni Field when UC Santa Barbara comes to Stockton, Calif. for Big West Conference play. The double header will begin at 11:00 am.
