Feb. 12, 2011

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Two late-inning rallies sputtered as LMU opened the 2011 season with a pair of defeats on the first day of the Long Beach Round Robin Tournament in Long Beach, Calif. The Lions (0-2) dropped the opener against the hosts Long Beach State, 5-3, and fell 2-1 to Boise State.

In game one, LMU battled back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead on junior Kelly Sarginson's three-run homer in the fifth. The lead would be short-lived, however, as the 49ers responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame.

LMU had its chance for a late rally in the seventh when, with two outs, both junior Sam Fischer and Sarginson reached on 49er errors. That brought up sophomore Olivia Alvarez as the winning run but 49er starter Taylor Petty (1-0) recorded her 10th strikeout by getting Alvarez swinging to end the game.

LBSU had taken a 1-0 lead in the first on an unearned run thanks to an LMU error and doubled its advantage in the third on Hannah De Gaetano's RBI double. The damage might have been more but sophomore centerfielder Danielle Smith robbed Christina Shallig of a home run by pulling her long drive back over the fence for the third out.

The Lions, who had stranded runners in scoring position in the first, third, and fourth innings, finally broke through against Petty in the fifth as Smith led off with a single, her second hit of the game. After a sacrifice bunt and strikeout, Fischer was intentionally walked but Sarginson made the 49ers pay for that decision, sending her 14th career home run over the fence in center to give LMU the lead.

The lead would not last out the inning as LBSU used its own two-out rally to regain the lead. With two outs and runners on first and second, Shallig tied the game with a double to left off sophomore reliever Dana Waldusky and Liz Javier followed with a two-run single to right that gave the hosts the lead for good.

Sophomore Molly Medeiros (0-1) took the loss in relief of starting junior Corie Goodman. Medeiros went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk before giving way to Waldusky in the fifth.

The Lions would jump out to an early lead in game two as Fischer delivered a sacrifice fly after a pair of walks. LMU could have added to its advantage when two more walks loaded the bases but Allie Crump got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.

That would prove pivotal as BSU got the only runs it would need off Waldusky in the top of the second. A leadoff single and an error put runners on first and third and the Broncos tied things up when they executed a double-steal. Tazz Weatherly followed with a sacrifice fly that put the Broncos ahead for good.

Both teams had more chances to add to their totals but left the bases loaded in the fourth. Waldusky worked her way out of further damage by getting Christina Capobianco to ground into a fielder's choice. In the home half of the inning, the Lions loaded the bases for Fischer but last year's leading hitter could not come through, striking out to end the inning. In the fifth, the Lions thought they had tied the game when they had the leadoff batter on third after Sarginson's double and a wild pitch. But sophomore pinch-runner Skylar Segura was called out for leaving early on Alvarez's deep fly ball and the rally fizzled.

Waldusky (0-1) took the loss despite giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits in a complete game. Crump (1-0) gained the win with four innings of two-hit ball. Lela Work picked up the save with one-hit relief in two innings.

LMU will have a chance for retribution against both Boise State and Long Beach State as the tournament concludes Sunday. The Lions and Broncos play at 11 a.m. followed by the 49ers and Lions squaring off at 1 p.m.