April 18, 2010

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Moraga, Calif. - A day after suffering its first Pacific Coast Softball Conference losses of the season, LMU bounced back in a big way, vaulting back atop the Coastal Division standings with a Sunday sweep of Saint Mary's. The Lions (19-17, 6-2 PCSC) rode the arm of senior Melissa Dykema, who recorded both wins, and the bats of sophomores Kelly Sarginson and Sam Fischer for victories of 4-2 and 4-3, with the latter coming on LMU's three-run rally in the seventh for the team's eighth victory in its final at-bat this season.

After being on the wrong side of both of Saturday's decisions, Dykema responded in a big way, tossing a two-hitter in a complete game in the opener, then coming on in relief to gain the victory in game two. Fischer's two-run, two-out homer in the seventh inning tied game two, leading to Sarginson's walk-off hit as LMU overcame a 3-0 deficit in the final two innings.

Playing as the home team, LMU made sure to get off to a strong start by jumping out to a 4-0 lead in game one. Senior J.J. Hartung staked the Lions to a 1-0 advantage with a run-scoring single in the second before Sarginson snapped a personal 18-game homerless drought with a three-run shot in the third. A double by junior Amy Charpentier and a walk to Fischer put runners on and ended SMC starter Jessica Lemmon's day. On came Kimberly Green, who got the inning's first out on senior Darcy Pagnini's sacrifice bunt, but she could not escape Sarginson. After hitting eight home runs as a freshman, the sophomore notched her second of the year by depositing Green's offering over the leftfield fence.

A 4-0 lead behind her, Dykema settled down after a shaky fourth inning that saw the Gaels pull two unearned runs back on an error and their only two hits of the day. Dykema did not allow a hit the rest of the way, retiring nine of the last 10 batters to reach 10 wins for the fourth straight season. She walked one and struck out two.

Charpentier and Pereda each had two hits for the Lions, who totaled eight hits against Lemmon (2-5) and Green. Lemmon allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks.

Undeterred from the defeat, Saint Mary's took charge in the finale by leaping out to a 3-0 lead. A first-inning single by Jenna Smith got the Gaels on the board and Rebecca Sabatini doubled their lead in the fifth with a solo home run that marked the end of the day for freshman starter Molly Medeiros. SMC tacked on one more in the sixth on a double by Maggie Camuso off Dykema.

It was not looking good for the Lions as Britany Linton carried a no-hitter into the sixth and had a two-hitter going into the seventh before retiring the first two batters in the seventh. But Linton herself prolonged the game with an error that allowed Charpentier to reach, bringing up Fischer. Rather than walk LMU's home run leader and bring up the winning run in the form of Pagnini, Linton decided to pitch to Fischer, who had already gone deep three times on the weekend. She made Saint Mary's pay for the decision by blasting her fourth home run of the series and 12th of the season over the fence in right-center to tie the game at three.

LMU was not done and Pagnini followed with a triple to put the winning run 90 feet away. With first base open and the hot-hitting Pereda on-deck, Saint Mary's again elected to face the batter and again LMU won the battle, with Sarginson stroking the walk-off hit to right. It was LMU's fourth victory in its final at-bat in six PCSC wins.

Pagnini registered her team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-4 effort and Pereda had the run-scoring single in the sixth that helped jump-start LMU's rally. But it was Fischer who stole the show. The sophomore went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored while also reaching on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. With four home runs on the weekend, she leapt into sole possession of fifth place on LMU's career list with 23 while her 12 on the year top her total from last season and ties for the fourth-most in a single season at the school.

Dykema (11-10) gained the victory with 2 1/3 innings of two-hit relief of Medeiros, who had given up two runs on six hits in 4 2/3.

After playing its first eight conference games on the road, LMU makes its first PCSC appearance of 2010 at Smith Field next weekend. The Lions host last-place Santa Clara in a four-game series with doubleheaders starting at 10 a.m. each day.