March 31, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Bakersfield, CA - Taking the field for the first time in 10 days and for the last time before Pacific Coast Softball Conference play commences this weekend, LMU earned a doubleheader split Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday afternoon. The Lions (14-20) dropped game one 8-4 before storming back for a 5-1 victory over the Roadrunners (19-18) in game two.

In game one, LMU got off to the start it was looking for, as freshman Kelly Sarginson's third home run of the season gave the Lions a 2-0 lead in the second. Senior Megan Ackerman had led off the inning with a single before Sarginson deposited a 3-2 pitch over the left-center field fence. The Lions weren't done in the second, as junior Darcy Pagnini followed with a double. Three batters later, junior J.J. Hartung made it 3-0 with an RBI single. LMU could have tacked on a fourth run of the frame but Hartung was later thrown out at home trying to score on freshman Sam Fischer's single.

Freshman Corie Goodman ran into trouble in the third after getting through the first two innings without conceding a hit. Three doubles in the inning by Kristen Archuleta, Kelli Bailey, and Jaimey Kleinsmith tied the game, with Kleinsmith giving the Roadrunners the lead after scoring on Rodriguez's single up the middle.

CSUB blew the game open with a four-run fourth to take an 8-3 lead. Archuleta got things going with her second double of the game and Bailey made it 6-3 with a two-run single, which was followed by a two-run homer down the leftfield line by Jill McClelland.

It would remain that way until the seventh, when the Lions began to mount a rally. Senior MiaSarah Cesena's one-out double gave LMU some life and Fischer's subsequent single put runners on first and third with one out. After senior Chelsie Tysdal was intentionally walked to load the bases, Ackerman grounded a ball to short that brought home a run but resulted in Fischer being forced out at third. With the tying run waiting in the on-deck circle, Sarginson hit a liner that was snared at short to end the game.

Fischer finished the contest 3-for-4 while Tysdal went 2-for-3 with a walk. Sarginson's home run meant that she took over the team RBI lead with her 18th and 19th of the season. Ackerman's seventh inning RBI groundout gave her 100 RBI for her career as she became just the sixth LMU player to reach that total. Goodman (7-10) took the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

CSUB was led by Archuleta's 3-for-3 day with two runs scored. The Roadrunners also had production from the top of the order, as their 1-through-5 hitters combined to go 9-for-19 in support of winner Katie Chavez, who pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief of starter Brittany Johnson. Chavez allowed one run on five hits.

Fischer carried her hot hitting into game two, launching her team-leading seventh home run of the season, a solo shot in the first, to put LMU ahead 1-0. Two errors in the bottom of the frame put the Lions in a hole but Cesena came up huge, throwing out Bailey at the plate from leftfield to preserve LMU's advantage.

CSUB would tie it up in the fifth when a walk and a hit batter put runners on first and second for Kleinsmith, who singled home the tying run. But LMU would regain the lead in the sixth. Cesena led off with a single and was sacrificed to second, coming home with the go-ahead run on Tysdal's single up the middle. Moments later, Ackerman would put the Lions up 4-1 with her sixth homer of the year and 25th of her career. An error and wild pitch kept the inning alive for freshman pinch-hitter Brittany Pereda to knock in LMU's fourth run of the inning.

Cesena, Tysdal, and Ackerman each had two hits as the Lions collected nine hits total. One game after recording her 100th career RBI, Ackerman's two RBI moved her in front of Sarginson for the team lead with 20 this year.

Dykema (7-9) got the win for her sixth complete game of the season, giving up one run on five hits and four walks. Shawna Truan (7-6) took the loss by allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. The win was LMU's first over CSUB this season after dropping the earlier contest and their last meeting on February 13.

The Lions open PCSC play this Saturday and Sunday when they host a four-game set against Saint Mary's at Smith Field. The teams will play a doubleheader each day, with the first games starting at noon.

- GO LIONS -