Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific Softball team split a doubleheader on the first day of a three-game series in Moraga, Calif. against the Saint Mary's Gaels on Saturday, outlasting the hosts 3-2 in ten innings in the first game before falling in a pitcher's duel, 1-0 in the nightcap. Pacific sits at 19-17 (2-3 WCC) while Saint Mary's is now 17-20-1 (4-1 WCC) on the season. The first game went ten innings and featured late rallies, momentum shifts and ultimately, a boost from Pacific's senior leadership in the final frame.

Game One

The win in the first of two represented the 700th of Coach Brian Kolze's illustrious career at the helm of the Pacific Softball program. Kolze picked up the 700th win on the road in Moraga, the second straight milestone number that he has picked up in unfriendly confines. Kolze's 600th win in 2012 when the Tigers defeated Cal State Bakersfield 10-0 (5 inn.) on March 27th of that season in Bakersfield.

Kolze became Pacific's winningest Head Coach with a wild, back-and-forth 10 inning thriller. In a Pitcher's duel between two of the best hurlers in the West Coast Conference, Marissa Young and Katie Moss (11-9) went to battle.

Kolze said of the milestone victory, "Though this milestone is credited as an individual accomplishment, it is something that must be shared with all the great players and coaches I have had past and present." He continued, "To be able to accomplish all the victories at Pacific, says what a blessing it is to work there with all the support the university and the athletic department has provided our program over the years."

The Tigers had a scoring opportunity in the second inning as Nicole Zapotoczny led off with a leadoff double, but the senior was retired. In the sixth inning, the Tigers got on the scoreboard first after Sara Anderson walked and Haylee Moran-Rowen advanced Anderson into scoring position. With two down, and Anderson on third, Sydney Lahners launched a home run, her team-leading sixth of the season, to put Pacific up 2-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Young surrendered a pair of unearned runs. With one out, Lollie Fitzpatrick singled up the middle and Hailey Sparacino reached on an error, putting runners on the corners. The next batter, Shannon Low, doubled to left field, plating a pair and tying the score.

In extra innings, Saint Mary's had a strong chance to end the contest in the bottom of the 8th with a walk-off run. Fitzpatrick sarted the frame against Young with a double to center field. Megan Walters (3-3) took over in the circle and promptly allowed infield singles to Erica Musgrave and Sparacino, loading the bases with no outs. Walters induced a pair of grounders that resulted in force-outs at home, and then Dylan Linton grounded out to second, allowing Pacific to escape with new life.

After Moss threw a 1-2-3 frame against the Tigers in her ninth inning of work, Walters worked around a leadoff double in the bottom of the 9th to give Pacific yet another chance.

Senior Melanie Habib doubled to left field to lead off the frame and after fellow senior Taylor Brink bunted Habib into scoring position, yet another senior, Anderson singled up the middle, plating Habib for an RBI and a 3-2 Pacific lead.

Walters sealed the victory, working around a hit by pitch to Sparacino, ending the frame and sending Pacific to its second conference win of the season, catapulting Kolze to the 700 win plateau.

Young struck out four over her seven plus innings of work, allowing seven hits, no earned runs and walking two. Fitzpatrick had a three-hit game in a losing effort for the Gaels while Moss went ten innings, allowing three earned runs, striking out five while walking two.

Game Two

In game two, a seven inning pitcher's duel that took just 1:15 minutes to complete, Pacific's Cassidy Gustafson (4-4) got the start against Lujane Mussadi (6-9) of Saint Mary's.

After Mussadi set the Tigers down in order in the first, Saint Mary's struck for the deciding run in the bottom of the inning as Katelyn Mamizuka tripled to lead off the contest and Monika Reichhardt delivered an RBI single to put the hosts up 1-0. In the top of the second, Gustafson tripled with two out, but was stranded 90 feet from home. In the fourth inning, Moran-Rowen reached on an error and went to third on a Lahners single, but Mussadi induced a strikeout and a grounder from Zapotoczny and Gustafson, respectively, to end the threat.

Pacific had an excellent chance in the sixth, as Anderson singled up the middle and advanced to second on Moran-Rowen's sacrifice bunt. Rachel Sellers followed with a single to left field, but Anderson was called out at home attempting to tie the contest.

Mussadi got the Tigers in order in the seventh to end the contest, a four-hit shutout with two strikeouts. Gustafson matched Mussadi for the majority of the contest, hurling six frames, allowing just six hits and surrendering the one earned run, striking out one and walking two. Reichhardt was the only batter in the contest with multiple hits.

The Tigers will return to action at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, as Pacific and Saint Mary's wrap up the three game West Coast Conference series with the rubber match. Live Stats will be available via PacificTigers.com

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