April 18, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

LOS ANGELES - San Diego came from behind in both games to sweep LMU in a Pacific Coast Softball Conference doubleheader Saturday at Smith Field. The Lions (21-23, 7-3 PCSC) drop out of first place in the conference standings after falling 5-2 and 4-1 to the Toreros (15-29, 5-5 PCSC).

Since both teams joined the PCSC in 2003, LMU had won 11 of their 12 meetings at home but that was to change as USD twice fought back. San Diego took advantage of five LMU errors, including two critical ones in the seventh inning, to rally from a 2-0 deficit in game one. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh with nobody on and one out, Kristen Gensler lifted a pop up down the third base line. LMU senior shortstop Megan Ackerman ranged over but dropped the ball, allowing Gensler to reach second. After junior Melissa Dykema struck out Jennifer Ellenbeck for the second out, Lindsey Fleet took a pitch opposite way for a two-run home run over the fence in left-centerfield and a 3-2 USD lead. The inning continued when Celeste Soto grounded a ball to Ackerman, who made a perfect throw to first but it was dropped by junior Darcy Pagnini. That opened the door for Taylor Hensley's two-run homer down the leftfield line to complete the Torero comeback.

LMU had broken the scoreless deadlock in the third inning on senior Kirsten Slouber's RBI double down the rightfield line. Slouber then came home on freshman Sam Fischer's lined single to right.

That would be all the Lions would get off of Ellenbeck (7-14), who allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven.

Dykema (10-11) was the hard-luck loser, giving up all five unearned runs on just the two hits. Until the seventh inning, she and freshman starter Corie Goodman had combined on a one-hitter.

Slouber finished 1-for-2 with a walk, RBI, and run scored to pull within 10 hits of the LMU career record. She also extended her hitting streak to a season-high eight games. Junior J.J. Hartung also kept her hit streak alive, going 1-for-3 to put her at an LMU season-high nine games.

In game two, the Lions again took the lead in the third inning, plating the game's first run on Fischer's bloop single to right. But USD scored in each of the last three innings for the win. Cathy Wineinger pulled the Toreros level with a solo home run in the fifth, one of her three hits for the game. Three straight singles and a sacrifice fly gave USD a cushion and the lead grew to 4-1 in the seventh on Gensler's chopper over the head of LMU sophomore second baseman Amy Charpentier.

Despite seven hits, the Lions could not put anything substantial together. Seven different players had singles, with Hartung extending her hit streak to 10 while Slouber's ended at eight.

Goodman (11-11) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on ten hits.

The teams will resume their series with a noon doubleheader on Sunday.

- GO LIONS -