Moraga, Calif. - Beginning the new season on the road in Moraga, Calif., the Pacific softball team picked up a dominating sweep of the reigning PCSC champion Saint Mary's Gaels winning 4-1 and 10-2 (6) on Saturday, February 12, 2011. The Tigers' wins put the team at 2-0 on the year while the Gaels fell to 0-2.

An all-around effort led the Tigers to the double-header sweep as Pacific controlled the day with their defense and pitching before putting the afternoon away at the plate with timely hitting.

Led in game one by All-Big West pitcher Nikki Armagost, the Tigers stymied the Gaels' attack for seven innings while putting together enough offense to come away with the opening game victory. For five innings, the sophomore ace dominated the Saint Mary's bats, holding the Gaels without a hit. She would see her no-hit bid end in the sixth on a leadoff double that would eventually lead to the Gaels' lone run of the early contest. With Armagost cruising in the circle, the Tigers picked up all the runs they would need in the their first at bats of the season when they tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the first inning after loading the bases helped by a pair of infield singles.

While threatening to add more throughout the contest the Tigers would push across two more runs the rest of the way, picking up a single run in the third on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Megan Allen after back-to-back singles by junior Nicole Matson and Armagost to start the inning. They would add a fourth insurance run in the final inning of play as another Gael miscue in the field led to a third unearned run for the Tigers.

With the first game in their pocket the Tigers went back to work in game two, jumping on the Gaels immediately in the first inning to put their opponents on their heels for the second consecutive game. Capitalizing on another Gael mistake, the Tigers got their first run of the game from freshman Megan Foglesong, who drove in her first career RBI with her first career hit, a double into the left-center gap. Two batters later, Armagost helped her fellow pitcher out with an RBI single through the left side to spot senior Shaina Brock the early lead. Two innings later, Armagost drove home what would amount to the game-winning run on a single to right field, bringing home Hom who had singled earlier in the inning and moved into scoring position on a Foglesong single.

The Tigers would give one run back in the bottom half of the third as the Gaels took advantage of a one-out triple by Brooke Sabatini. The triple was the first given up by Pacific in over a year as the Tigers did not relinquish one the entire 2010 season. Saint Mary's would cut the lead to just one in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run, by Megan Smith.

Despite the sudden shift on the scoreboard the Tigers were not fazed as they went back to the plate in top of the fifth and promptly broke open the contest with five runs, four of which came off the bat of sophomore Amy Moore as the catcher from Valencia, Calif., picked the bases loaded moment to slam her first career home run over the left-center field fence. The home run capped the inning after Allen picked up the first run of the inning on a bases loaded walk. Pacific would put the game in the books an inning later with two more runs, again looking to the freshman Foglesong who finished off her afternoon with a two-RBI triple.

Overall, the Tigers got a pair of outstanding efforts in the circle from both Armagost and Brock. Armagost picked up her two-hit victory with help from seven strikeouts and solid play in the field. Brock struck out two and walked just one in her five inning outing and was relieved by freshman Tori Shepard in the sixth as the Lodi High School product stuck out one and gave up one hit in her first collegiate appearance.

At the plate, Armagost led the way with four hits in six at bats with two RBI while Hom also added four hits and three runs scored. In her first collegiate afternoon, Foglesong posted three hits, all coming in the second game of the afternoon, while scoring four runs and driving in three. For Moore, the home run was her first hit of the afternoon while also adding solid defense behind the plate including picking up a pair of pickoffs.

The Tigers will be back in action on Tuesday, February 15, weather permitting, against Fresno State at Bill Simoni Field. Pacific will open its home slate of games with a double header scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.