LBSU Opens Its Big West Schedule at Home PDF VERSION of this RELEASE 10-14, 0-0 Big West
Home: 2-1 • Away: 1-5 • Neutral: 7-8
Quickly:
The Long Beach State softball team finally returns home, after spending over a month on the road to face UC Riverside, and begin Big West Conference play. Long Beach State went 1-2 at the Kia/Fullerton Classic (3/12-14), before heavy rains forced the cancellation of the rest of the games. Recapping the Week:
@ Kia Fullerton Classic (3/12-3/14)
No Games Scheduled last Week
LBSU went 1-2 at the 2003 Kia Fullerton Classic (3/12-14)... LBSU rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette, 2-1... The 49ers faced two ranked teams, Arizona and Florida State...Jamie Farnworth went 3-for-8 with one run...Meredith Cervenka tied a school record, after striking out 13 U of L batters on 3/13.
The No. 2 ranked Arizona Wildcats defeated Long Beach State, 8-0 in five innings, on Friday afternoon. Long Beach State dropped to 10-14 on the season.
Riki Paredes and Kristina McCarty both tallied doubles for The Beach. Lindsey Knoff picked up the loss, giving up eight runs on 11 hits, and two strikeouts. Arizona scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning, courtesy of a Lovie Jung grand slam that drove in four runs. The Wildcats added three in the bottom of the fifth, before the game was called.
The Long Beach State softball team scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette, 2-1, Thursday morning.
Roxanne Staniorski and Jamie Farnworth both went 1-for-3 with one run scored. Meredith Cervenka picked up the victory, giving up one run on five hits. Cervenka also tied the school record for most strikeouts thrown in a single game with 13 (Diane Lewis - 13 vs. Hawaii on May 2, 1986).
The Florida State Seminoles scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie, and earn a 4-0 victory over Long Beach State Wed. evening.
FSU broke the scoreless tie after Elisa Vasquez reached first base on a fielder's choice. A Beth Wade single up the middle would advance Vasquez to third base. Lindsey Knoff, then hit Shundra Colzie to load the bases for the Seminoles. A throwing error by The Beach on the next play would score two Florida State runs. FSU would score its third run after a Tatiana George RBI, and a run-down on the bases would score the last run before the out was recorded.
Casey Hunter would shutdown the 49ers in the top of the seventh, striking out Riki Paredes and Melanie McCauley, and getting Cassie Preece to flyout to end the game.
Hunter limited Long Beach State to just three hits. News & Notes
Leading Off:
The Long Beach State Softball team (10-14) finally returns home, after a month in a half road trip, to open its Big West schedule versus UC Riverside for a three-game series, beginning on Saturday, March 28-29.
Cervenka Ties School Record:
Meredith Cervenka tied a school record after posting 13 strikeouts versus Louisiana-Lafayette on March 13. (Diane Lewis - 13 vs. Hawaii on May 2, 1986).
Tough Competition:
Long Beach State has already faced six teams ranked in the top-25 poll this season (Arizona, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas A&M, Florida State, and Georgia).
49ers Picked Third in Poll:
The Long Beach State softball team was selected to finish in third place in the Big West Conference, according to the 2003 Pre-Season Coaches Poll, released Jan. 17 by the league office. The Beach (13-11 in conference play last season), received 44 points, trailing pre-season favorite Cal State Fullerton, and Pacific (2nd place). The 49ers have won three Big West Conference championships since 1996.
Johnson at the Top of the Order:
Sophomore Lauren Johnson hit her first career home run at the UCSB Early Bird Invite on Jan. 31. Johnson continued her success at the OU/Nike Classic when she belted home runs No. 2 & 3 on the season versus Creighton and Oklahoma. Johnson leads the team with three home runs, 22 hits, and a .319 batting average. She also ranks second on the team with seven RBI, 1st with 11 runs, 1st with five stolen bases, and is second with five doubles. (Johnson only hit one double last year). She ranks No. 14 in the league in batting average, and in the top-10 in Slugging Pct., On Base Pct., and Stolen Bases.
Thorp Putting up Solid Numbers...Again:
After leading the team last season in batting average, hits, doubles, and triples, Arleigh Thorp is once again near the front of the statistical leaderboard this season for The Beach. She is 2nd in batting average (.299), 1st in doubles (9), and is 2nd on the team with 20 hits. Thorp had a productive weekend at the San Diego State Tournament (March 7-9), totaling four doubles and one home run. Thorp went 3-for-4 with three doubles, four RBI, and one run in the 7-0 rout over Harvard on March 8. She hit her second home run of the season versus SDSU on March 7. Thorp ranks second in the Big West with nine doubles, and fourth in slugging pct. (.582).
In the Circle:
Pitcher Lindsey Knoff has a 7-6 record with 65 strikeouts and a 1.72 ERA, in 93.1 innings of work this season. Knoff pitched a one-hitter versus Harvard on March 8. She pitched two consecutive shutouts versus Santa Clara and Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 31, and has five on the season. She ranks 6th in the league in ERA (As of 3/24). Meredith Cervenka, has posted 68 strikeouts in 67.0 innings of work.
LBSU Transfers:
Junior transfers Colleen Burdick (Fullerton JC) and Rocky Staniorski (San Jose State) have combined for 28 hits, nine runs, and six RBI in their debuts with the 49ers this season.
Fielder's Choice:
Burdick also has recorded a team-best 170 putouts, to go along with nine assists, for a .994 fielding percentage.
Triple Threat:
Freshman Riki Paredes has provided a nice spark to the 49er line-up this season, totaling 11 hits, two of which were triples (tied for best on the team). Paredes is batting .289 with three doubles, two triples, and two RBI.
700 Club:
After LBSU's 2-0 upset victory over Stanford on Feb. 28, 20th year head coach Pete Manarino collected his 700th career victory. Manarino is the all-time winningest coach in Long Beach State history.
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