Feb. 13, 2011

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - LMU concluded its opening weekend of play at the Long Beach round Robin by earning a Sunday split against Boise State and Long Beach State. In the opener, the Lions rallied from a three-run deficit in the seventh for a dramatic 4-3 win over Boise State before falling for the second time in as many days to Long Beach State, 4-1.

LMU 4, Boise State 3
LMU and Boise State swapped late-inning heroics in the first game Sunday after matching zeroes through the first five innings. Boise State looked to be heading for the win after taking a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning but LMU scored four in the top of the seventh and held on for the win.

Sophomore Molly Medeiros carried a two-hitter into the six inning before running into trouble. A walk, a sacrifice bunt, two errors and a sacrifice fly brought around the first two runs and Allie Crump followed with Boise State's first home run of the season. All three runs were unearned.

The Lions would not be defeated, however, responding in their last at-bat off of Aubray Zell. Junior Kylie Ahlo and sophomore Danielle Smith each utilized their speed to beat out infield singles with one out. Lela Work came on in relief and immediately hit freshman Samantha Fischer to load the bases. Freshman Meghan Harman then got the Lions on the board with an RBI single to second, her first collegiate hit. A sacrifice fly by junior Sam Fischer got LMU within one, bringing up junior Kelly Sarginson, who had hit a three-run home run a day earlier that put LMU ahead against Long Beach State. Sarginson came through again, this time with a two-run go-ahead double.

Sophomore Dana Waldusky finished out the seventh as the last of four Lion pitchers who combined on a four-hitter. Sophomore Erica Grady (1-0) picked up her first career win after getting the last out of the sixth. Medeiros allowed three hits and three unearned runs on the first 5 2/3 innings before giving way to junior Corie Goodman.

LMU's 2-6 hitters combined for six of the Lions' nine hits, with Fischer collecting her first two-hit performance of the season.

Long Beach State 4, LMU 1
For the second time on the weekend, LBSU hurler Taylor Petty got the better of LMU, holding the Lions to just three hits while striking out 10 to help Long Beach State move to 4-0.

The 49ers took the lead in the fourth inning by scoring three runs. Jennifer Madigan, pinch hitting for Alisha Rosen, had the key hit, a two RBI single to right center after back-to-back-to-back singles by Liz Javier, Nalani St. Germain and Dana Garcia. Megan Denio followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Garcia and LBSU held a 3-0 lead.

LMU narrowed the lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth on a leadoff home run by freshman Kathryn Dutton, the first of her career, but the 49ers got the run right back in the bottom of the fifth. Christina Schallig led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a hit by Javier and scored on a sacrifice fly by St. Germain.

Waldusky (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

LMU heads out to Riverside next weekend for the aTen Construction Tournament. The Lions open play Friday at 11 a.m. against Rutgers, then face Minnesota twice on Saturday. The weekend ends Sunday with a morning rematch against Rutgers and an afternoon contest against hosts UC Riverside.

Notes: Sarginson hit safely in each of the season's first three games... Fischer has 33 multi-hit games in her career...