March 20, 2011

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - Fighting gusting winds and multiple rain delays, the Pacific softball team made short work of New Mexico, 15-4 in five innings, on Sunday, March 20 to open the final day of the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. The game was the first of the day for the Tigers as they improved to 15-9 overall on the year while the Lobos fell to 12-13.

Fighting gusting winds and multiple rain delays, the Pacific softball team made short work of New Mexico en route to a record 15-4 victory in five innings, on Sunday, March 20 to open the final day of the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. The game was the first of the day for the Tigers as they improved to 15-9 overall on the year while the Lobos fell to 12-13.

After a slow start at the plate in the first three games of the weekend, the Tigers put together one of their most dominant offensive performances in program history to blast their way past the Lobos. In just five innings of action, the Tigers scored tied their program record against a Division I opponent with 15 runs, doing their damage on 17 hits.

Starting the onslaught in innocuous fashion, sophomore Megan Hom slapped a single back to the pitcher to begin Pacific's four run first. With Hom aboard and freshman Megan Foglesong working a walk, the Tigers broke through for their first runs of the contest with a two-out single into left by sophomore Nikki Armagost. The single was the first of the weekend for the Tigers' leading hitter on the year and proved to be all she needed to get rolling as she would strike again four innings later.

Two batters later and with another walk issued, this time to sophomore Amy Moore, the Tigers would tack on two more runs on another two RBI single, this time off the bat of sophomore Megan Allen. The hit and runs would be the last of the inning for the Tigers, but would show what was in store the rest of the way.

Picking up runs in spurts, the Tigers threw together another four runs two innings later as they sent with batters to the plate for the second time in the contest. Unlike the first when the rally opened with a slap back to the pitcher, junior Nicole Matson started the four run breakout with a solo shot over the foul pole in left for her team-leading sixth home run of the season. The round-tripper was the 19th of the shortstop's career as she moved into a tie for No. 5 on Pacific's all-time list with all-time great Cindy Ball (1999-2002).

With a five run lead, the Tigers used three more singles and took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues by the Lobos' in the field to plate their final three runs. With Moore and Allen aboard in front of her, freshman Kelsey Rodriguez continued her strong play at the plate as of late as she lined a single into left that brought home the second run of the inning. Immediately following, senior Lindsey Pierce picked up her second straight single, this time to with a bloop to center, plating Allen and pushing Rodriguez to third on a miss play in the outfield. Standing 60 feet from scoring, Rodriguez would score the final run of the inning on a passed ball to put Pacific up 8-0 just three innings into the contest.

After leaving runners at second and third in the fourth, the Tigers exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to put the game out of reach and put the Lobos in a hole they would not be able to climb out of with just three outs to work with in the bottom half of the inning. Sending 11 to the dish in the inning, Pacific picked up seven hits including a pair of doubles by junior Alexa Rivera who led the frame off with a shot down the left field line. After Rodriguez singled to put runners at the corner, the Tigers got rolling with one out in the inning as five batters reached safely through the middle of Pacific's order. During the onslaught, Hom, Foglesong and Armagost each picked up their second hits of the game and drove in runs while freshman Taylor DeSilva finished off the string of hits with her first collegiate single to drive in a pair of runs. She would come around to score two batters later on Rivera's second double of the inning.

Bolstered by her offense, freshman Tori Shepard put the rough conditions in the field behind her to move to 5-3 on the season. Cruising for four innings, Shepard saw her shutout bid come to an end in the bottom of the fifth when the Lobos strung together four straight hits, including three doubles, to plate four runs. Despite the small setback, Shepard finished off the game and picked up her fourth complete game of the season. In five innings of work, the freshman struck out two and walked one while giving up seven hits.