May 9, 2010

Box Score

LOS ANGELES - Sophomore Sam Fischer wasted no time in breaking the LMU and Pacific Coast Softball Conference single-season home run records with her first inning homer in game one but it was Sacramento State who would conclude the season on a winning note as the Hornets completed a four-game sweep by taking both games Sunday, 9-6 and 12-8 at Smith Field. After going the first seven years of conference play without suffering a four-game sweep, the Lions (22-26, 9-11 PCSC) were handed two in a row to close out the season as they dropped the final eight games of 2010. Despite the losses, it was a day of celebration as Fischer set the home run record and the Lions said goodbye to their four graduating seniors on Senior Day.

Following an emotional Senior Day ceremony, Fischer immediately set the tone for a wild first two innings with her record-breaking home run. With a runner on, Fischer got some help from the wind and the fence in launching her 16th of the season. Fischer drove the ball high into the jetstream blowing out to center and it had just enough to bounce off the top of the wall and over to give LMU a 2-0 lead. That pushed her in front of current LMU assistant coach Danielle Kaminaka, who had held the previous record of 15 since 2004. It was also the 27th of Fischer's career, moving her into a tie with former teammate Chelsie Tysdal (2006-09) for fourth place on the LMU career ilst and seventh place on the PCSC charts.

Sac State (23-31, 13-9 PCSC) immediately struck back against sophomore Corie Goodman, who was making her first start since February 13. Goodman issued seven straight balls to open the game and was immediately replaced by freshman Molly Medeiros, who gave up a single to Erin Jones and a run-scoring double to Emily McCormick as the Hornets cut LMU's lead in half.

The run barrage carried over into the second as senior J.J. Hartung led off with a single to left to knock Sac State starter Jacquelyn Serrano from the game. Freshman Danielle Smith greeted her with a bunt single and junior Jennifer Nayudu doubled in Hartung. Junior Amy Charpentier then plated Smith with a single through the left side and a wild pitch brought home Nayudu to make it 5-1.

The lead would be short-lived, however, as the Hornets sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run bottom of the second, with all six runs being of the unearned variety and coming with two outs. Medeiros retired the first two batters before giving up a single and a walk. LMU should have been out of the inning on the next batter but Fischer could not handle Jenice Bartee's grounder and it rolled all the way to the wall, bringing home a pair of runs and leaving Bartee on third. If the error left a gap in the door, back-to-back homers by Jones and McCormick smashed the door down to give the Hornets the lead. Goodman came back in for Medeiros but her struggles to find the plate continued as a single and three wild pitches made it 7-5 in Sac State's favor.

Both teams finally found their pitching as freshman Erica Grady and Sac State's Megan Schaefer kept the teams off the board until the sixth, when the Lions pulled a run back. Hartung led off the frame with a single and was sacrificed to second, coming home on Nayudu's second double to left-center, her third hit of the game.

The Hornets extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth as they finally got to Grady by putting the first two runners on and force the Lions to turn to their fourth pitcher of the game. Senior Melissa Dykema entered but McCormick drove in her third and fourth runs of the game with her fourth hit, a single up the middle that made it 9-6. That would prove to be too much of a deficit for LMU to overcome as the Lions suffered their seventh straight defeat.

Nayudu posted her fourth three-hit game of the year with a 3-for-4 effort at the top of the order, adding two RBI and a run scored. Charpentier and Hartung each added two hits apiece.

Medeiros (8-9) took the loss after allowing six runs although only one was earned on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. Grady had the most effective outing of the four LMU pitchers, tossing 3 1/3 innings in which she gave up two runs on four hits.

Schaefer (10-7) grabbed the win with 5 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on seven hits. McCormick was 4-for-4 with four RBI, falling a triple short of the cycle.

Fischer just missed extending her home run record in the top of the first of game two, sending a double off the top of the wall in right-center. Senior Darcy Pagnini followed with a single but the Lions could not capitalize on the runner in scoring position and Sac State made them pay by batting around in the bottom of the first. Back-to-back homers, this time by Bartee and Jones, staked the Hornets to a 2-0 lead off Dykema and the Hornets kept things going by adding four more hits and four additional runs to take a 6-0 lead after one.

Having staked the Hornets to a six-run advantage, LMU made several lineup changes and they began to pay off in the top of the second. Sophomore Kylie Ahlo, normally a back-up second baseman, made her first career start in left and with it came her first career home run as she launched a deep two-run shot to pull the Lions back to 6-2. In the third, Hartung led off with a single and Fischer followed with a double down the leftfield line to put runners on second and third with no outs. A fielder's choice loaded the bases and a wild pitch brought home Hartung, with sophomore Kelly Sarginson driving in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly. Charpentier then lined a single to left to make it a ballgame at 6-5.

As has been the case all weekend, as soon LMU got within striking distance, the Hornets would pull away. With two runners on, Alyssa Nakken hit a ball to the wall in right but only got a single out of it as both runners waited until it dropped before advancing. Two batters later, Jones doubled in a pair of runs to extend the lead to 8-6. It could have been more but Fischer ranged way out into center to snare a pop up that ended the inning.

Again, LMU came back with a two-out rally for a run in the fourth. Fischer kept the inning alive with a single up the middle and Pagnini doubled to right. Sarginson drove in her second run of the game by dumping a single just inside the rightfield line to bring in Fischer and cut LMU to 8-6.

Once more, Sac State tacked on a run in the fourth and added three more in the fifth on McCormick's homer to left. LMU had a chance to rally in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs, but stranded all three as Shelby Voelz worked out of the jam with no damage. They would convert those chances in the seventh and managed to make the final frame interesting when freshman Skylar Segura led off with a double and Ahlo walked. Schaefer came on in relief of Voelz but uncorked two wild pitches to bring home a run. A Hartung infield single plated Ahlo to make it 12-8 and Fischer was intentionally walked for the second time in the game to load the bases. That would be as close as the Lions would get, though, as Schaefer enduced a pair of groundouts to end the game.

Fischer closed out her record-setting season by reaching in all five of her plate appearance through a double, two singles, and the two intentional passes. Hartung had three hits in her final collegiate game while Pagnini concluded her career with two hits, including a double that moved her into sole possession of fourth place on the LMU and career lists with 38.

Dykema (12-15) fell short in her quest for her elusive 65th career win, which would have tied her for second place on the LMU career charts. She was tagged for nine runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Voelz (11-16) went the first six innings to earn the win, allowing eight runs on 13 hits. McCormick finished her career day with a 3-for-4 effort and three more RBI as she went 12-for-16 with 10 RBI in the four-game series.