April 23, 2005
Box Score
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Loyola Marymount softball team hit four home runs en route to sweeping a doubleheader, 7-1 and 7-4, over the University of San Diego in PCSC action this afternoon at LMU Softball Field. USD had allowed just two home runs all season, but four different Lions hit homers to account for nine of LMU's 14 runs on the day. LMU stays in first place in the PCSC with an 12-2 record and improves to 30-16 overall. It is the seventh straight year that the LMU softball program has won at least 30 games.
The Lions jumped ahead early in both games, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first in game one and two. Brittany Bassett put the Lions on the board in the first game, bringing two runs home on a double to right field with the bases loaded.
The Lions added five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Jessica Grassi led off with a single, and was replaced on the base path by Kayla Meeks' fielder's choice. Meeks advanced on Lisa Abbott's walk, and both runners scored on Margo Pineda's double to left centerfield. Danielle Kaminaka followed with an RBI triple to right field. Caylin Hornish's fifth home run of the season gave LMU a 7-0 lead.
Darcie McClelland replaced USD starter Christina Haake, and was able to shut the Lions down after the second inning. But Meeks was equally dominant in the circle, not allowing a run in 6.0 innings to pick up her 12th win of the season. Meeks struck out three batters, and allowed only one Torero to get past second base.
Danielle Treiber hit a solo home run off of Krystal Kehr in the top of the seventh inning to give the Toreros their only run of the game.
Hornish and Pineda each had two hits and two RBI in game one. Abbott was the only starting Lion without a hit, but she drew two walks and scored both times.
Game two was very similar to game one. Kaminaka's two-run home run in the first inning gave LMU a quick 2-0 lead. The game stayed tight until the fifth inning, when the Lions broke it open with a pair of home runs. Casie Phillips drew a walk, and advanced to second when Emily Foltz hit a tough infield hit to the shortstop. Grassi hit her second home run of the season, a three run blast to left center, to give LMU a 5-0 lead. Meeks followed with another walk, and Abbott put the Lions ahead 7-0 with another home run down the left field line.
Again, McClelland came in for USD and shut down the LMU offense, but it was too late for the Toreros. USD did answer with a pair of runs in the top of the 6th and 7th innings, but it was not enough to overcome the seven run deficit. Treiber had an RBI single, and Ashlee Nunes drew a bases loaded walk in the sixth. Marissa Merchain and Alicia Massei drove in runs in the seventh to make it a 7-4 contest, but Kehr got three straight batters out to end the game.
Tiffany Pagano improved to 12-6 on the season, allowing just two unearned runs in 6.0 innings of work. She struck out seven and walked four. Erin Harmonson took the loss for USD, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and five walks.
Abbott picked up three hits for LMU, driving in two and scoring a run. Foltz had two hits, and Grassi had three RBI.
USD falls to 17-19 on the season, 7-7 in PCSC action. The Lions will host their final two games of the season on Sunday with another doubleheader against San Diego. LMU will honor its nine seniors in a ceremony in between games of the doubleheader.
- GO LIONS! -
