Feb. 21, 2013
Florida Box Score
Cal State Fullerton Box Score
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The LMU softball team opened play at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Friday, with a pair of losses, falling 8-2 to No. 5 Florida and 7-1 to Cal State Fullerton.
Against the undefeated Gators (13-0), LMU jumped on the board in the top of the first as Breeanna Sandoval reached on a fielder's choice to third, stole second and scored on a two-out single to right by Olivia Alvarez.
LMU starting pitcher Molly Medeiros held the Gators in check in the bottom of the inning, recording three straight outs, but they came alive in the second and third innings with three runs in each frame. Back-to-back home runs by Jessica Little and Katie Medina gave Florida a 3-1 advantage in the second while a bases-loaded RBI walk drawn by Kelsey Horton followed by a two-RBI single by Jessica Damico in the third pushed the Florida cushion to 6-1.
The Lions got one run back in the sixth as Meghan Harman led off with a single to left center, and Sterling Shuster doubled her home in the next at-bat. But the Gators would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the inning for the final six-run spread.
Medeiros (1-1) took the loss, surrendering five hits for six runs in 2.1 innings of work. Dana Waldusky pitched three innings of scoreless relief before Erica Grady and Stephanie Crist worked the final inning of play.
Danielle Smith and Shuster each had a pair of hits, while four other Lions had one apiece.
The Lions (3-4) would score first in their second game of the day as well, as a first inning, bases-loaded walk by Harman sent Sandovol home. But Cal State Fullerton would respond with seven unanswered runs including one each in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh. The Titans also had a two-run fourth.
After tossing three scoreless innings against Florida, Waldusky struggled in her first start of the tournament, giving up nine hits, two walks and four earned runs in six innings of work. LMU also committed four errors in the game.
Harman had two of the Lions' three hits in the game. Sandovol was the only other Lion to tally a hit.
The Lions play a single game on Friday, taking on No. 14/19 Arizona at 8:30 p.m.
-GO LIONS-
