March 22, 2014
UC Riverside Box Score
Canisius Box Score
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LOS ANGELES - Despite leading early in each of their LMU Invitational II games on Saturday, the LMU softball team would come up short in a pair of games, falling 9-7 to UC Riverside and 3-1 to Canisius at Smith Field.
In the Lions' opener against the Highlanders, Meghan Harman launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the first to give her squad a 3-0 lead. The long ball was Harman's team-leading sixth of the season.
UCR would respond, however, posting a pair of runs in the second and two more in the third to take a 4-3 advantage. The Highlanders added five runs on six hits and one LMU error in the sixth inning to go ahead 9-3.
The Lions (16-12) rallied in the home half of the inning, as Amanda Driks doubled in Harman, who reached on a walk. A Stephanie Crist fielder's choice to short allowed Sterling Shuster to score and Stephanie Maciel added a two-run home run, training UCR's lead to two, 9-7.
That's as close as the Lions would get as Nicole Clowdus flied out to end the inning and UCR did not allow a runner past first base in the final frame.
Rachael Farrington took the loss for the Lions after surrendering seven runs (six earned) in five innings of work. Seven Lions finished with one hit apiece.
In the day's final contest, LMU would again score first, pushing a single run across the plate in the first. Ander Lopez draw a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on a Shuster single to left.
Canisius responded with an unearned run in the top of the second and added two more in the fifth on a Meghan Cuda home run and Robin Kennery RBI-double.
The Lions finished with six hits in the game, including two by Shuster. Crist took the complete-game loss in the circle after fanning two, walking one, scattering seven hits and giving up three runs (two earned).
The Lions will close out tournament play on Sunday against Dartmouth (11 a.m.) and Cal Poly (1 p.m.).
