Skip To Main Content

University of the Pacific

Softball

Pacific Sweeps Bakersfield To Wrap Up Libby Matson Tournament

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Stockton, Calif. - On the final day of 2014 Libby Matson Tournament Play, the Pacific softball team earned a pair of come from behind victories over Bakersfield (2-16) to improve to 6-8 overall.

In the Tigers' first game of the day, Bakersfield struck first, tagging Dani Bonnet for four runs in the third frame. Karsyn Guzman delivered a leadoff double down the left field line to start the Roadrunners offensive.

Kayli Shaw struck out, but reached first as junior Alex Steinmehl threw to second base on a ball in the dirt, attempting to pick Guzman off second. After Taylor DeSilva walked to load the bases, Jessica Castaneda delivered a grand slam to left field for a four run Bakersfield advantage.

The Tigers answered back immediately, as the bottom of the fourth frame started with singles by sophomore Melanie Habib and senior Gabby Goyette. Senior Taylor Petty walked, setting up a bases loaded situation for senior Megan Foglesong. Foglesong reached on a fielder's choice that forced Habib out at home.

Freshman Bailey O'Mara continued her impressive Libby Matson tournament performance with an RBI single to center field that score Goyette. Sophomore Nicole Zapotoczny reached on a fielder's choice and picked up an RBI as Petty came home to cut the Bakersfield advantage to 4-2.

After Bonnet shut down the Roadrunners in the top of the fourth, the Tigers cut the Bakersfield lead to 4-3 as Habib roped a double to the gap in right center and Goyette singled to center field.

Bonnet shut down Bakersfield in order in the fifth, delivering a shutdown inning that got Pacific's offense back in the dugout quickly, ready to get back to work.

O'Mara led off the bottom of the fifth with a double in the gap, setting the stage for Zapotoczny to deliver an RBI with runners in scoring position. Zapotoczny had bigger plans, hitting a line drive home run towards the scoreboard in left center. The two-run blast, Zapotoczny's first of 2014, gave Pacific a lead they would not relinquish.

The Tigers added a trio of insurance runs in the sixth, as freshman Cassidy Gustafson would deliver with a two-RBI single to center.

Bonnet got into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the seventh, as the Roadrunners loaded the bases, but the Pacific starter (2-2) fired a swinging strike three past Madison Bundy to secure the victory.

A rain delay pushed the start of the second game back an hour. When the game got started, Bakersfield again jumped out to the lead first. Karissa Veiga tripled to center field to start the contest and scored on a wild pitch by Pacific starter Tori Shepard.

After Kelsi Monroe set the Tigers down in order in the bottom of the frame, Bakersfield would add an insurance run to take a 2-0 lead as Amy Ricciardi and Ashley Carter traded places with a pair of doubles.

The Orange and Black offense came to life in the third, as Petty lined a two out single. O'Mara singled down the right field line in front of Foglesong, who delivered a three-run home run to left field to give the Tigers the lead.

After Shepard and Monroe swapped scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth, Briana Pontecorvo walked and Ashley Carter homered to left center field to level the score at 4-4.

The 4-4 score would hold through seven innings, as neither team was able to punch a run across in regulation.

The eight inning was contested under international tiebreaker protocol, per tournament rules. Bakersfield's DeSilva was placed on second base and advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Bonnet, who was in the game in relief of Shepard. Ricciardi then delivered a sharp liner to third base, scoring DeSilva. Bonnet was able to limit the damage and the score held at 5-4 going to the bottom of the frame.

Foglesong was placed on second for the Tigers. Zapotocozny wasted no time leveling the score at 5-5 while delivering a double to score Foglesong and put a runner in scoring position again. After Steinmehl laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Foglesong to third, Gustafson delivered a fly ball to center field and Foglesong came home on the sacrifice fly, as the Tigers picked up their second walk-off victory of the season.

O'Mara was a standout at the Libby Matson Tournament, hitting .636 with seven hits and four RBI on the weekend. Zapotoczny hit .444 for the rain-shortened weekend, slugging .889 with a double and a home run to her credit. Foglesong and Habib also delivered four hits for Pacific.

Next, the Tigers will head to the Jack in the Box Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament, which gets underway on Thursday. The Tigers will face the host Rainbow Wahine, California and James Madison in the weekend tournament. The Golden Bears are up first, as the two teams will square off at 6:00 PM Pacific time on Thursday.

Stay tuned to @PacificSoftball on Twitter and Instagram for updates from The Aloha State.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Dani Bonnet

#99 Dani Bonnet

P/UTL
5' 10"
Junior
Megan Foglesong

#22 Megan Foglesong

OF
5' 8"
Senior
Gabby Goyette

#21 Gabby Goyette

OF
5' 8"
Senior
Cassidy Gustafson

#74 Cassidy Gustafson

P/UTL
5' 5"
Freshman
Melanie Habib

#23 Melanie Habib

INF
5' 7"
Sophomore
Bailey O

#56 Bailey O'Mara

C/UTL
5' 6"
Freshman
Taylor Petty

#8 Taylor Petty

UTL
5' 4"
Senior
Tori Shepard

#6 Tori Shepard

P
5' 10"
Senior
Alex Steinmehl

#13 Alex Steinmehl

C/UTL
5' 7"
Junior
Nicole Zapotoczny

#7 Nicole Zapotoczny

INF
5' 8"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Dani Bonnet

#99 Dani Bonnet

5' 10"
Junior
P/UTL
Megan Foglesong

#22 Megan Foglesong

5' 8"
Senior
OF
Gabby Goyette

#21 Gabby Goyette

5' 8"
Senior
OF
Cassidy Gustafson

#74 Cassidy Gustafson

5' 5"
Freshman
P/UTL
Melanie Habib

#23 Melanie Habib

5' 7"
Sophomore
INF
Bailey O

#56 Bailey O'Mara

5' 6"
Freshman
C/UTL
Taylor Petty

#8 Taylor Petty

5' 4"
Senior
UTL
Tori Shepard

#6 Tori Shepard

5' 10"
Senior
P
Alex Steinmehl

#13 Alex Steinmehl

5' 7"
Junior
C/UTL
Nicole Zapotoczny

#7 Nicole Zapotoczny

5' 8"
Sophomore
INF