STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific softball team continues West Coast Conference play as the Tigers host San Diego in a three-game series at Bill Simoni Field starting on Friday, April 15.
The Tigers are coming off a three-game series last weekend against Santa Clara, earning a victory in a thrilling contest in the second game of the doubleheader on April 9. Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, the Tigers gained momentum in the bottom half of the inning and scored five runs to take a 5-3 lead. The team scored four more runs, ending the game with nine runs, the most runs scored in a win this season.
Bethany Hammer highlighted the comeback efforts, tallying a career-high four hits, recording two RBI, and scoring two runs. The redshirt senior from Placerville, Calif., who had 12 hits in five seasons with the team coming into the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, recorded the first-ever multi-hit game of her career and finished the weekend with seven hits.
Amiyah Aponte has been tremendous in the circle this season, leading the team in earned-run average, appearances, and wins. In her ninth start of the season in the win over Santa Clara, Aponte pitched seven solid innings, allowing three runs on three hits while keeping the Broncos off the board in the game's final three innings. Her team-leading 2.95 earned-run average ranks seventh in the West Coast Conference and is tied for third in the conference in saves.
San Diego is coming off a series win against Saint Mary's this past weekend and is tied for first place in the West Coast Conference with a 2-1 record. After dropping the opening game on Saturday, the 17-win Toreros dominated in the final two games of the series, outscoring the Gaels, 14-5.
Alexia Torculas has become the team's primary offensive weapon and leads Toreros in multiple statistical categories. The redshirt junior from Salinas, Calif., leads the team with eight stolen bases and is the team's lone member to record at least 40 hits this season. Torculas has accumulated a career-high .311 batting average and leads the team with a .402 slugging percentage.
Since the first-ever meeting on March 7, 2008, San Diego has held the edge in the all-time series, holding a 15-7 advantage. In nine meetings at Bill Simoni Field, the Tigers have earned five wins and have outscored the Toreros, 22-11, in those wins.
The last time Pacific faced off against San Diego at Bill Simoni Field, the Tigers earned three straight wins on April 21 and 22 during the 2018 season. The Tigers finished the season with a 9-6 conference record and finished in third place in the conference standings.
For more information about the series and future events, follow Pacific softball on social media and download the Pacific Athletics mobile app to keep up with news regarding your favorite Pacific Tiger teams.
