May 1, 2010

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - LMU's quest for the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Coastal Division title suffered a major setback on Saturday as San Diego swept a doubleheader 6-3 and 4-1 at the USD Softball Complex. The losses drop the Lions (22-20, 9-5 PCSC) out of a tie for first place with Saint Mary's (23-18, 9-3 PCSC), who takes a one-game lead thanks to a Saturday sweep of Santa Clara.

The Lions entered the day tied with Saint Mary's in the loss column but holding a two-game advantage in wins due to the Gaels' rainout earlier this season with San Diego. The teams flip-flopped on Saturday and made the Coastal Division race a lot tighter with sweeps by San Diego and Saint Mary's and a split between Sacramento State and Cal State Bakersfield. With six games remaining, three games separate first and fifth place. The Gaels sit in first at 9-3 with LMU second at 9-5, a game up on Sacramento State at 8-6. Bakersfield is fourth at 7-7 and San Diego fifth at 6-6.

The day was looking good early for the Lions when senior Darcy Pagnini got LMU off to a strong start with a three-run home run in the first inning of game one. A lead-off single by freshman Danielle Smith and an infield error put runners on and Pagnini launched her eighth of the season. It was Pagnini's 18th homer of her career, moving her into a tie with Emily Foltz (2002-05) for eighth place on LMU's career list.

That would be LMU's last lead of the day as USD (17-24, 6-6 PCSC) stormed back with four runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. A pair of singles and two walks brought home the Toreros' first run and a sacrifice fly made it 3-2. Kristen Gensler then put USD on top with a run-scoring single, with the inning's fourth run coming home on a Lion error.

USD expanded its lead in the fourth on Taylor Hensley's two-run single.

Meanwhile, USD starter Jennifer Ellenbeck was keeping the Lions off the bases. Following LMU's first inning and a second inning lead-off single by junior Priscilla Satete, Ellenbeck set down 18 of the last 20 Lion batters, with only a pair of singles by senior J.J. Hartung accounting for the LMU baserunners after the second inning.

In a battle between the top two pitchers in the league, Ellenbeck (12-11) got the better of LMU senior Melissa Dykema (12-12). Ellenbeck finished with a five-hitter, striking out four and walking none in the complete-game. She also helped her own cause with three hits at the plate.

Dykema, on the other hand, allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks in her 105th career start, putting her into third place on LMU's list.

Hartung's 2-for-3 effort and Pagnini's first-inning homer were the bright spots for the Lion offense.

Having dropped the series opener in each of its past three weekends, LMU still had the opportunity for a split in the day's play when game two got underway. Freshman Molly Medeiros and USD's Kaitlin Healy matched zeroes on the scoreboard through the first four innings, with Medeiros working out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second to keep the game scoreless.

USD finally broke the deadlock with a four-run fifth, with Hensley getting LMU on the board with a two-run shot. Ellenbeck followed with a walk and moved into scoring position on a single before coming home on Mickell Escobar's single. Taylor Lawrence then made it 4-0 with another single.

The Lions, who have eight wins in their final at-bat this season, again left it until the seventh inning before mounting a rally. With one out, senior Christine Foley reached on an error and advanced to second on a passed ball, scoring from second on sophomore pinch-hitter Kylie Ahlo's single to right. Ahlo took second on the throw and moved to third on Hartung's single that brought the tying run to the plate with still just one out in the inning. Healy worked her way out of the jam, however, by striking out junior Jennifer Nayudu and getting Smith to ground out to end the game.

Medeiros (8-7) suffered her first loss in conference play, allowing four runs on seven hits and six walks before being relieved by sophomore Corie Goodman with two outs in the fifth. Hartung's seventh-inning single extended her hitting streak to six games, the longest current streak by a Lion.

Healy (3-7) flummoxed the Lions by carrying a two-hitter into the seventh and finishing with a complete-game four-hitter.

The Lions still have a shot to keep pace with Saint Mary's in the standings when they battle San Diego in another doubleheader Sunday. LMU is a perfect 6-0 on Sundays during conference play