April 24, 2010

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

LOS ANGELES - After being on the road for the first two Pacific Coast Softball Conference series, it took awhile for LMU to get its bats going in its first home action in nearly a month. The first-place Lions dropped game one of a doubleheader to last-place Santa Clara 7-6 before blasting a season-high five home runs in a 9-3 game two victory to earn a split on Saturday at Smith Field. Reigning PCSC Player of the Week Sam Fischer hit her 13th home run of the season, moving her into a tie for second place on both the PCSC and LMU single-season record lists while fellow sophomore Kelly Sarginson had two round-trippers in game two.

Despite their gap in the standings, Santa Clara (9-23, 1-8 PCSC) has played well at LMU (20-18, 7-3 PCSC) in recent years, having taken three of four from the Lions in their last visit to Smith Field in 2008. The day got off to an ominous start for the Lions when Catherine Surane led off game one with a homer to left. LMU bounced right back to take the lead in the bottom of the first on a hit batter, two walks, two wild pitches, and senior Darcy Pagnini's double to right that moved her into a tie with Megan Ackerman for fourth place on LMU's career list with 37.

Santa Clara pulled even on Emily Batt's third-inning double, only for the Lions to regain the lead on junior Jennifer Nayudu's RBI single to left which started a big day for her. Yet, the Lions could not extend their lead, leaving two runners on in a foreshadowing of their inability to get runners home.

The game turned in the fifth, when the Broncos surged into the lead with a four-run frame, thanks to two LMU errors. Jamie Wallis had already tied the game at three with a double when, with one out and runners on first and third, the Broncos tried a double steal. Fischer cut off the throw to second but her throw home hit freshman reliever Molly Medeiros and bounced away, allowing Santa Clara to take the lead. Another Lion error prolonged the inning and Kristin Welsh and Briana Knight made the hosts pay with run-scoring hits. When the dust settled, Santa Clara held a 6-3 lead, which they extended in the sixth when a third LMU error brought home the seventh Bronco run.

Trailing by four, this Lions did not give up but hurt themselves by being unable to take advantage of runners on base. Nayudu doubled with one out in the sixth, later coming home on an infield error that gave the Lions runners at first and second with one out. After Fischer struck out swinging, Pagnini singled to load the bases but Kaitlyn Rauschnot got Sarginson to pop up to end the inning.

The Lions still had one more breath of life in them and for a couple minutes, it looked like they would overcome the 7-4 deficit for their ninth win this year in their final at-bat. With one out in the seventh, junior Priscilla Satete sent a double just inside the third base bag. After Rauschnot got the second out, she and Nayudu engaged in an epic nine-pitch at-bat, with Nayudu spraying balls narrowly foul on either line. Finally she got something she could turn on, sending her first career home-run over the fence in right to make it a one-run game. LMU still had one run to overcome, though, and freshman Danielle Smith kept things going with a single up the middle but Rauschnot shut the door on the rally by getting junior Amy Charpentier to pop up to end the game.

Nayudu finished with her third three-hit game of the year, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and coming a triple short of the cycle. Smith, Pagnini, and sophomore Brittany Pereda each had two hits but the Lions stranded 11 runners despite 13 hits.

Senior Melissa Dykema (11-11) was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. She struck out six and walked none. Medeiros and sophomore Corie Goodman, who returned from injury to make her first appearance since February 13, each gave up an unearned run on two hits in relief.

Rauschnot (4-10) tossed a complete game, aided by three hits from Welsh and two apiece from Batt, Jamie Wallis, and Nicole Picard.

Game two started in much the same way as the first, with a Lion error allowing Santa Clara to take a 1-0 lead in the first. The Broncos started Rauschnot for the second straight game but Nayudu's home run in game one, although it came in a losing cause, gave the team the power confidence they needed. LMU hit a season-high five home runs in two, including two from Sarginson.

With LMU trailing 1-0 before coming to bat for the second straight game, Fischer and Sarginson were determined not to let history repeat itself. After Charpentier doubled, Fischer curled her league-leading 13th home run of the season just inside the left-field foul pole to put the Lions ahead and Sarginson followed two batters later with a no-doubt solo shot to left for a 3-1 LMU lead after one. Fischer's home run was her 24th of her career, the most among active players in the PCSC.

The long-ball excitement continued in the second when Satete greeted reliever Ali Nash with her fourth dinger of the season to lead off the frame. In the third, Fischer narrowly missed her second home run of the game when she blasted a ball that cleared the protective netting beyond leftfield but hooked just foul. She settled for a double to right on the next pitch, giving the Lions runners on second and third with no outs. Two Bronco miscues enabled the Lions to extend their lead as SCU replaced Nash with Jenna Fong but the pitcher uncorked a wild pitch to bring home a run. The SCU first baseman then dropped a foul pop to prolong Sarginson's at-bat and the Lion thanked her for the new life by launching her second home run of the game, a three-run shot to left, that gave LMU an 8-1 lead. The Lions could have added to their tally but Bronco leftfielder Jackie Nicora robbed Pereda and Satete of home runs on consecutive pitches and Fong worked out of a bases loaded jam.

Megan Smith's two-run homer got a couple runs back and Dykema's day ended when she put the next two runners on. Goodman got out of the inning and Pagnini led off the bottom of the frame with LMU's fifth homer of the game for a 9-3 advantage. The Lions had a chance to put the game away in five innings but were unable to push across any more runs.

Sarginson, who had struggled during non-conference play but is finding her stroke against PCSC foes, finished 3-for-3 with four RBI, all season-highs. Fischer was 2-for-4 and eight different Lions picked up a hit.

Goodman (2-0) gained the win with 3 1/3 innings of three-hit ball. Medeiros tossed the first three frames, allowing one unearned run on three hits, and Dykema gave up two runs on three hits in 2/3 of an inning.

Rauschnot (4-11) was one of four Bronco pitchers to go in game two, giving up thre eruns on three hits in just one inning. Nicora was 3-for-4 to lead the SCU offense.

The teams will battle again in a Sunday doubleheader starting at 10 a.m.