April 16, 2011

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Freshman Kathryn Dutton homered twice, including her second grand slam of the season, and junior Kelly Sarginson hit her conference-leading 13th home run of the season to help LMU to a Pacific Coast Softball Conference doubleheader sweep at Santa Clara Saturday. Dutton's grand slam and five RBI in game one supported sophomore Molly Medeiros' three-hitter in an 8-0 victory and Dutton and Sarginson both went deep in the Lions' (21-21, 5-1 PCSC) 8-2 game two win.

LMU 8, Santa Clara 0
Medeiros became the PCSC's first 10-game winner as she stifled the Broncos (6-16, 2-4 PCSC) for her 10th complete game of the season and second straight shutout. She scattered three singles, two by Stephanie Fisher, and did not allow a runner to reach first base while striking out a season-high eight batters.

Medeiros (10-5) would get all the run support she would need in the Lions' five-run third inning. Sophomore Danielle Smith, who would tally five hits over the two games, led off with a bunt single and senior Amy Charpentier followed with a single. The Lions' momentum seemed to stall when the next two batters struck out but freshman Meghan Harman kept the inning alive with a walk and sophomore Olivia Alvarez beat out an infield single to short, bringing home Smith with the game's first run. Dutton then smacked her second grand slam of the season over the fence in left to make it 5-0.

Harman would add to LMU's tally with a two-run double in the fourth and Dutton capped her first career three-hit game with an RBI single in the sixth.

Dutton finished 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI to pace LMU's 11-hit attack. Smith was 2-for-3 with a run scored and junior Kylie Ahlo also collected a pair of hits while Alvarez reached three times on a single and two RBI.

LMU 8, Santa Clara 2
Smith had her team-leading fifth three-hit performance and 20th multi-hit game of the season to keep the Lions rolling, assisted by three RBI from Sarginson. Six different Lions drove in a run and LMU scored in each of the last four innings, taking advantage of six unearned runs, to pull away for the sweep.

LMU broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the fourth, taking advantage of an error and three walks. Sarginson led off the inning by reaching on an error and was sacrificed to second. Two walks loaded the bases and a third straight walk to freshman Samantha Nelson brought home the game's first run. Smith made it 2-0 with an infield single but the Lions would leave the bases loaded as Charpentier popped up to second.

Santa Clara almost immediately got itself back in the game, loading the bases with one out off of sophomore Dana Waldusky. Freshman Stevie Goldstein came on in relief but got out of the jam without any damage by forcing a pair of groundouts.

The Lions would increase their lead to 3-0 the following inning on Alvarez's RBI single but the Broncos would pull back to 3-2 in the fifth on Amanda Edmondson's two-run homer.

LMU's four-run sixth put the game away. With two outs, Smith reached on a fielding error, then stole second, coming home on Charpentier's RBI single to left. After junior Sam Fischer walked, Sarginson launched her 13th homer of the season and 16th of her career, a three-run shot down the left-field line. Dutton would then lead off the seventh with her fifth homer of the season to complete LMU's scoring.

Goldstein (4-5) picked up the win with two innings of five-hit relief, allowing two runs. Waldusky had carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning but gave way to Goldstein after 3 1/3 innings after walking five. Medeiros tossed the final 1 2/3 innings, striking out three without allowing a baserunner.

The teams will return to the field for a Sunday doubleheader.