Feb. 9, 2013
Box Score
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ST. GEORGE, Utah - The LMU softball team closed out its opening weekend of play with a second straight 1-1 split, earning a 3-0 shutout of Utah State before falling 8-3 to Arkansas in the final game of the Red Desert Classic Saturday. In five total tournament games, the Lions went 3-2, all three wins coming by shutout.
Facing Utah State in their first game Saturday, the Lions had just six hits, but made them count. Meghan Harman led off the second inning with a double, advanced to third on a sac bunt and scored on a Stephanie Maciel single to right. Two batters later Samantha Nelson doubled to center, sending Maciel across home plate.
Dana Waldusky's eight-strikeout, three-hit performance kept the Aggies at bay and the Lions added an insurance run in the sixth on a Harman leadoff home run to left.
Supporting Harman's 2-for-2 performance were Maciel, Nelson, Sterling Shuster and Danielle Smith with one hit apiece.
Despite hurling nine strikeouts, LMU pitcher Sydney Gouveia (1-1) took the loss against Arkansas (3-0). The rookie gave up 12 hits and four walks for five earned runs. LMU also committed four fielding errors.
With the game tied 1-1 through three complete innings, the Razorbacks broke things open with a three-run fourth. A leadoff triple, walk and single loaded the bases for Arkansas' Nicole Schroeder whose fielder's choice to second sent two runs across home plate. Amanda Geile followed with an RBI ground out to third, pushing the Razorback lead to 4-1.
LMU got one run back on a Breeanna Sandovol solo home run in the fifth, but Arkansas tacked on four more runs in the seventh to open up an 8-2 advantage.
Looking for a rally in the bottom of the seventh Nicole Clowdus led off by reaching on an error. Skylar Segura reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a Danielle Smith ground out and scored on a Sandovol single to right. But Stephanie Crist followed with a fly out to centerfield to end the inning.
The Lions take a 12-day break from action before traveling to Cathedral City, Calif., for the 2013 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 21-23. Their five opponents in the round-robin tournament include Florida, Cal State Fullerton, Arizona, Northwestern and UNLV.
-GO LIONS-
