Feb. 20, 2002

Results

Los Angeles, CA -- The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) women's softball team split their home opener with the BYU Cougars Wednesday afternoon at LMU's softball field. The Cougars shut the Lions out in the first game (5-0), however the Lions retaliated in the second game of the doubleheader, handling the Cougars in the 13-4 victory.

In the first game the Cougars came out swinging early as Liz Boydston nailed a three-run home run down the left field line to take the early 3-0 lead. The Cougars scored again in the fourth inning to increase their lead to 4-0 when Lauren Watson stole home for the score. Again the Cougars scored on the Lions in the fifth inning Brooke Cadiente brought Megan Johnson home on a fielder's choice.

Only four Lions were able to get a hit off of the Cougars' Ariel Capra as Jessica Grassi, Sami Strinz, Trisha Gomes and Casie Phillips all reached on singles. Senior pitcher Corianne Rogalsky collected her seventh loss of the season on the defeat.

The Lions regrouped for the second game as Christy Cerecedes led off in the bottom of the first with a solo home run to center field to put the Lions on the board for the first time on the afternoon. The first inning, however, was not yet over for the Lions. Sami Strinz singled to second to get in base. Trisha Gomes followed her in the lineup and sent her single to right field. Jennifer Heliotes sent a single to center field to bring Strinz home. After Christine Jordt walked, the Cougars made a pitcher change to bring in Fallowfield for the remainder of the game. Megan Julian walked, and Jordt advanced to second on the wild pitch, taking Heliotes to third and Gomes home for the score. The Lions led 3-0 after the first inning.

The Cougars posted a score on the board in the second inning when Aaron Layns reached first on a Lion error, to bring Brooke Cadiente home and the score to 3-1. The Lions answered back in the bottom of the second with Strinz bringing Ashley Hunt home on a single to left field. Gomes singled to center field to bring Danielle Kaminaka home and increased their lead to 5-1.

In the fourth the Cougars brought in two more runs to bring the score to 5-3 with Cadiente batting second the inning with a solo home run to left field to score Oli Keohohou, who walked as the lead off hitter. BYU scored again in the fifth when Liz VanderLinden scored off of Boydston's sacrifice fly to right field. That would be the last of the Cougars' scoring for the afternoon, as the Lions took the game outright in the sixth inning. Rogalsky came in as a relief pitcher in the sixth inning and with two outs and the bases loaded she sent VanderLinden back to the cage with a swinging strikeout to ponder on.

The Lions finished the game in the bottom of the sixth to take eight runs off of seven hits. Strinz hit a solo homer to left field to lead off the inning, followed by Sarah Schaub, Cerecedes, Kaminaka, who each brought in an RBI for the Lions. Strinz finished out the game for the Lions as she sent a three-run home run over the left field gate, to bring the game to a final 13-4. Heliotes collected her third win of the season on the victory.

Next, the Lions (7-9) will host UC Riverside on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at LMU's Softball Field for another doubleheader scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.