SAN DIEGO – West Coast Conference play started for the University of the Pacific Softball team on Saturday with a doubleheader at San Diego. The Tigers took game one, 2-1 after outstanding pitching from Myka Sutherlin. However, USD took the second game, 5-2 as the teams split the doubleheader. Pacific is 11-10-1 overall and 1-1 in WCC play after Saturday's doubleheader.
 
GAME ONE SUMMARY
 
Pacific 2, San Diego 1
 
Pacific was limited to no hits until the top of the fifth inning when Jessica Mabrey singled top third base.
 
Through six innings, both teams were scoreless. USD was held to only two hits through the sixth, and Sutherlin had 10 strikeouts through the stretch.
 
The Tigers finally broke through in the top of the seventh inning. Carly Lucchetti reached base on an error, then advanced into scoring position. With Lucchetti at second, Madison Kahwaty hit an infield single.
 
Both runners executed a double steal, as Lucchetti and Kahwaty were in scoring position. Rian Dirmeyer hit a sacrifice fly to center field, as Lucchetti scored to give Pacific a 1-0 lead. Following the sacrifice fly, Mabrey hit her second single of the game, driving in Kahwaty for a 2-0 lead.
 
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, AJ Kaiser singled for USD. The Toreros got on the board When Sophia Bjerk doubled to drive in Alexia Torculas, who ran for Kaiser.
 
USD threatened to tie the game or even win, as Sofia Delgado singled, then stole second base, representing the winning run.
 
Sutherlin would record her 11^th strikeout, then the Tigers finished the game with a groundout to first base for a 2-1 victory to open conference play.
 
Sutherlin improved to 3-1 on the season.
 
GAME TWO SUMMARY
 
San Diego 5, Pacific 2
 
In the top of the first, Dirmeyer hit her fourth triple of the season. Kahwaty bunted, as Dirmeyer scored on a fielder's choice to give Pacific an early 1-0 lead.
 
Torculas led off the bottom of the third with a bunt single, reached second base on a sacrifice bunt that followed and stole third base. Torculas scored the tying run when Malia Benson hit an RBI single for San Diego.
 
USD scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bjerk hit an RBI single to drive in Benson, and on the same play, Rion Simms scored a run on an error. Later in the inning, Bjerk scored when Lauren Hendrickson reached on a two-out error. Through five innings, the Toreros led 4-1.
 
With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth for Pacific, the Tigers got one run back when Vanessa Strong entered as a pinch hitter, producing a single to third base, driving in Madison Kahwaty.
 
USD added a run in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-2 lead, then all three batters for Pacific were retired in the top of the seventh, as the Toreros won game two, 5-2 to split the doubleheader.
 
NOTABLE STATS
 

• The game one win was the first for Pacific against USD since April 2018.
• Through Saturday, Madeline Domingo is the leading hitter for Pacific with a .300 batting average.
• Dirmeyer now has four triples on the season, which is among the top of the conference.
• The 11 strikeouts for Sutherlin was the second-most in her career with Pacific.

 
POSTGAME QUOTES
 
Pacific head coach Brian Kolze following Saturday's doubleheader:
"Definitely a tale of two games. We found a way to win the first game behind a tremendous pitching effort from Myka."
 
"in the second game we didn't play a very clean game in any phase."
 
"We definitely looked a bit rusty at the after not playing for two weeks."
 
"Hopefully tomorrow we swing it better and clean up some things from today."
 
UP NEXT
 
The series finale takes place Sunday morning with a first pitch from USD Softball Complex set for 11 a.m.
 
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