March 23, 2002

Final Stats

Los Angeles, CA -- The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) softball team split their Western Athletic Conference doubleheader with the 10th-ranked Fresno State Bulldogs at the LMU Softball Field Saturday afternoon shutting the Bulldogs out 1-0 in the first game (nine innings) and falling 8-3 in seven to finish the day.

In the first game the WAC opponents went through the first eight innings without a score. Sami Strinz went the distance for the Lions allowing nine Bulldogs' hits with two strike outs. Jamie Southern pitched the game for the Bulldogs with 11 strike outs giving up one run off of four hits. The Lions put the only run of the game on the board as Casie Phillips singled to second base to reach first. Ashley Hunt gave up a sacrifice bunt to allow Phillips to advance to second. Christy Cerecedes singled down the right field line to bring Phillips home with the win.

In the second game the Lions (15-21, 3-5) came out swinging in the bottom of the first inning as Danielle Kaminaka sent a solo homerun over the fence in center field for the 1-0 lead. Fresno State (29-9, 3-1) answered back in the top of the fourth inning with five runs. Pam Perez singled to reach first and advanced to second on Tiffany Whipple's sacrifice bunt. Leticia Pacheco singled through the right side to move the runner to third. Lindsay Fossatti singled to bring Perez home. Southern, who started the game at first base, brought in two more runs with a single to center field. With a throwing error by the Lions' third baseman, Southern and Lori Hoffman were brought in for the unearned runs.

LMU answered back with two runs in the bottom of that inning with Kaminaka sending a single to left. Strinz singled to the shortstop to reach first and to move Kaminaka one step closer to scoring. Emily Foltz followed through with her single to load the bases. Trisha Gomes brought both Kaminaka and Strinz home with a single to center field to close the gap to 3-5.

The Bulldogs added to their lead in the top of the fifth as Whipple reached first base on a bunt and advanced to second as Lindsay Fossatti singled to center field. Gomez reached on a fielder's choice as Fossatti was tagged out at second, and Whipple advanced to third. Gomez made a move to second, but as the Lions tried to pick her off Whipple stole home an Gomez was able to steal second on the same play. Pam West singled to left field to move Southern to second. Hoffman, however, was waved in as the Lions' leftfielder committed a fielding error. Hoffman's run, however, would be the last of the game as the two teams failed to score any more runs though the last two innings.

Jennifer Heliotes (8-8) took the loss for the Lions and Southern (19-4) picked up the win for the Bulldogs.

The Lions next host UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m. for another doubleheader. Fresno State will play the top-ranked UCLA Bruins on Monday, March 25 in Westwood.