May 8, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific softball team dropped a pair of games to Long Beach State on Friday, May 8 at Bill Simoni Field. The Tigers fell 6-1 in game one and 2-1 in eight innings in the second game.
After the losses, Pacific dropped to 18-33 overall and 3-17 in the Big West Conference. Long Beach State, meanwhile, improved to 33-19 and 14-6 in conference play.
With two away in the fourth inning of the first game, Pacific came around for a bit of a rally after stranding the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. Freshman Amanda Collier (Sparks, Nev.) drove a first pitch to left field for a two-out single. Then during sophomore Lindsey Pierce's (Camarillo, Calif.) at-bat, Collier stole second for the second time in 2009. After Collier moved into scoring position, Pierce singled to center field as Collier advanced to third, causing Long Beach State to try and relay to get Collier at third. While the throw was not in time, Pierce advanced to second and into scoring position, on the throw.
As Pacific had two runners in scoring position with two outs, senior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) laced her third single of the game to drive in a run and put the Tigers up 1-0. That was all the offensive production Pacific would get for the rest of the game. But it was enough to momentarily take the lead.
Senior RHP Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) stayed in control in the pitching circle, keeping the 49ers scoreless through five innings. However, Engle struggled during the sixth, as Long Beach State tagged the Tiger pitching staff for four runs and go ahead 4-1.
Freshman Michelle Tait (Mission Viejo, Calif.) came in to try to end the rally, but the 49ers scored two more in the top of the seventh.
Game two of the doubleheader was a pitchers' duel, with both teams scoreless all the way to the sixth inning. Tiger starting pitcher Gabby McDaniel (Sacramento, Calif.) retired nine of the first 11 batters she faced, and held the 49ers scoreless through five innings. In the sixth, Long Beach State's Danielle Linke led off with a double, and came around to score on a base hit by Jonae Perez.
With the Tigers trailing 1-0 heading to the bottom of the sixth, Goldsand led off with a double down the right field line, just sliding under the tag at second base. A ground out from freshman Paige Emerson (Rocklin, Calif.) and a sacrifice fly to left by sophomore Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) knotted the game up at 1-1.
Neither team scored in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. After two nice plays Goldsand at second to begin the inning, the 49ers took advantage of two walks by McDaniel. She was then relieved by Tait, and a single by Ashley Levine gave the 49ers a 2-1 lead. Starter Taylor Petty struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh, to improve to 14-4 on the season. McDaniel dropped to 4-12 for the Tigers.
The Tigers return to action for their final home of the year, at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9.
