March 12, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

Honolulu, Hawaii - The laid-back way of life in Hawaii became a little too literal on Friday as LMU did itself no favors by committing five errors in a pair of defeats on the first day of the 2010 Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Lions (3-9) dropped the day's opener 8-3 to DePaul (9-7) before going down 9-0 in five innings to the hosts Hawaii (16-8).

The Lions entered the day having dropped their last three in a row, including the last two against ranked opponents in #19 North Carolina and #3 Florida. The road would not get any easier against the Blue Demons, who have also featured in the top-25 this season, and the Rainbow Wahine, who had handed LMU a loss in their home opener back on February 23. Even against such vaunted competition, the Lions did not help themselves out with the defensive miscues, which opened the door for nine runs on the day.

Against DePaul, LMU twice rallied from three-run deficits but were thwarted on each attempt as Tara Voss hit two home runs and drove in five runs for DePaul to off-set sophomore Sam Fischer's team-leading eighth and ninth RBI of the season.

DePaul got out to an early lead with a three-run top of the second thanks to four successive one-out singles and two errors on the Lion defense. Yet the Lions came roaring back in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out. Junior Priscilla Satete led off the inning with a single and a Blue Demon error and an infield single from freshman Danielle Smith to put DePaul pitcher Becca Heteniak in a jam with Fischer coming up. The Lion shortstop, who leads the team in batting average and RBI, came through with a two-run double to pull LMU back to 3-2. That would be it, though, as DePaul centerfielder Alex Morocco preserved the one-run lead, gunning down Smith at the plate as the freshman tried to score on senior Darcy Pagnini's flyout.

That defensive play would prove crucial as the Blue Demons restored a two-run cushion on Sean Plese's run-scoring single in the top of the next frame and Voss padded the lead with her first home run to lead off the sixth that made it 5-2.

The Lions had one last burst in them when sophomore Brittany Pereda grabbed a run back with a solo homer in the fifth, her first of the year and the second of her career. With two outs, Smith singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch but that's where she would be stranded as Heteniak struck out Fischer to end the threat. Voss put the game away in the sixth with her second round-tripper of the day, a three-run, two-out shot.

Pagnini was 2-for-3 for her first multi-hit game of the year.

Freshman Molly Medeiros (0-4) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings. Senior Melissa Dykema provided 2 1/3 innings of relief before freshman Erica Grady finished it off in the seventh.

Heteniak (5-5) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in the complete game, seven-strikeout win.

Mere hours later, Grady was handed her first career start but it seemed like déjà vu for the Lions, who gifted the Rainbow Wahine a 3-0 lead in the first. The next inning, a one-out error put a runner on for Kate Grimes, who added to UH's lead a two-run homer to left-center. The Rainbow Wahine would tack on a sixth run later in the frame and three more in the fourth, including two on a Jessica Iwata home run, to end the contest.

At the plate, Smith led off the game with a single and sophomore Kelly Sarginson led off the second with a single but that would be all the offense the Lions would get against Kaia Parnaby, who allowed just one baserunner after Sarginson's single. Parnaby struck out 11.

Grady (0-1) lasted 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven runs but only two were earned. Medeiros pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned).

LMU takes the field again Saturday at 2 p.m. against Troy in the final game of the round-robin portion of the tournament. Both teams enter the game winless in the tournament, meaning the winner will earn the #3 seed and play in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. against the loser of the earlier game between Hawaii and DePaul.