Softball Opens Conference Play This Week
LBSU 29-7 on the Season
March 29, 2004 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE 29-7, 0-0 Big West
Up Next: vs. SJSU (Mar. 30); at UC Riverside (Apr. 3-4)
ESPN/USA Softball Rank: No. 25 / NFCA Rank: RV
Quickly:
No. 25 Long Beach State (29-7) hosts San Jose State on Tuesday, Mar. 30 for a double-header beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the 49er Softball Complex, before opening its conference schedule at UC Riverside for a three-game series, April 3-4. Long Beach State has won a season-high 11 straight games. The last time LBSU won 11 straight games was in 1996. The 29-7 mark is the best record (thru 36 games) since the 1993 club posted a 29-7 record thru 36 games. The 1993 club compiled a 31-7 record, before losing its eighth game. In league news, Meredith Cervenka was named the Big West Co-Pitcher of the Week. Last Week Recap
Long Beach State (29-7) collected its 28th and 29th victories of the season with a pair of victories over Dartmouth College last week (3/25). In the first game of the double-header, Meredith Cervenka tossed her second consecutive no-hitter in an eight-inning shutout. Cervenka also registered a career-tying high 13 strikeouts in the contest. LBSU finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning, courtesy of a Kourtnee Gervasi single up the middle to plate Colleen Burdick, who reached base on an error by the center fielder to start the inning. Long Beach State got on track offensively in the second game, winning 9-1 in five innings. LBSU jumped on Dartmouth starting pitcher Ashley Thorfinnson for four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Burdick went 3-for-3 in the second game with a triple. Lindsey Knoff won her sixth straight decision, allowing just one run on three hits. 49ers Back in the Top 25:
Long Beach State re-entered the polls last week at No. 25 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday, Mar. 23. The poll is released on Tuesday's of every week. LBSU entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 25 when the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Poll was released on March 9.
LBSU Reaches 29:
Long Beach State reached its 29th victory of the season on Thursday, Mar. 25 with a 9-1 victory over Dartmouth. The 49ers in fact have won a season-high 11 straight games. The last time that happened was in 1996, when the team won 11 straight from April 6 to May 3.
In the Zone:
2003 Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year Meredith Cervenka pitched her second consecutive no-hitter in a 1-0 victory over Dartmouth on Mar. 25. Cervenka also added a career-tying high 13 strikeouts. The 13 K's equaled the school record for most strikeouts thrown in a single game (Cervenka, 2003 and Diane Lewis, 1985). Currently, Cervenka has pitched 26.0 consecutive scoreless innings since Mar. 13. For her efforts, Cervenka was named the Big West Co-Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 25). It was her second Pitcher of the Week award this season, and sixth of her career. Cervenka became the fifth player in program history to pitch a perfect game in a 3-0 victory over Iowa on March 20 in the Capital Classic. It was the first perfect game since Ruby Flores pitched a perfect game in 1991. Cervenka was also named to the Capital Classic All-Tournament Team after posting a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA. In fact for the week of Mar. 17-21, she totaled 17 strikeouts and only gave up four hits, and no runs. For her efforts, Cervenka was named as the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week (3/23). Cervenka certainly has been quite productive in the circle for the 2004 campaign. She has recorded 77 strikeouts this season to move to No. 2 all-time at The Beach with 362 career strikeouts. She is 46 strikeouts away from No. 1 (Stacy Van Essen). Cervenka has compiled an 11-3 record with a 1.39 ERA, allowing 19 runs on 52 hits and 77 strikeouts. Cervenka went 2-0 in the Kipa Aloha Classic (Mar. 4-7) with a 0.64 ERA in 11.0 innings of work. Cervenka collected her second win at UC Santa Barbara allowing one run on two hits in LBSU's 8-1 victory. Cervenka pitched 7.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and six strikeouts in a 4-0 win over Santa Clara on Feb. 6. She pitched her second shutout of the season versus Ohio on Feb. 20, and registered a season-high nine strikeouts versus Iowa State on 2/21. Cervenka, in fact recorded her 300th career strikeout versus Santa Clara on 2/6. Her 11 wins have given her 46 for her career, eighth most in school history.
Six is Good:
Jamie Farnworth landed her second Big West Offensive Player of the Week award for the period ending April 7. Farnworth was given the honor after her performance in the Kipa Aloha Tournament, April 4-7. Farnworth was also selected as the Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week, for the period ending Feb. 12. Farnworth (Upland, Calif.) has helped Long Beach State to a 29-7 mark this season, after posting a team-best .384 batting average, with 20 runs, four home runs, and 18 RBI. Farnworth connected for her first career home run on opening day in a 5-1 win over Oregon State on January 30 at the UCSB Early Bird Invite in Santa Barbara. She followed that performance up the same day with a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning versus Illinois-Chicago, to give Long Beach State a 5-4 victory over the Flames. Despite falling to the top-ranked Bruins at the Long Beach State Invitational on 2/7, Farnworth went 2-for-3 with a double off Bruin All-American pitcher Keira Goerl. She garnered the Most Outstanding Player honor in the Kipa Aloha Classic (March 4-7) after batting .556 with 10 hits, seven runs, seven RBI, and a home run. She went 2-for-2 with five RBI and two runs vs. Siena (3/4). Farnworth hit .263 and scored three runs in the tournament in Fresno (3/11-14). Farnworth has also compiled a .556 slugging percentage and a .479 on base percentage this season. She batted .409 at the Capital Classic (Mar. 19-21), pounding out nine hits (2 doubles), two RBI and two runs. She went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the double-header vs. Dartmouth (Mar. 25). Farnworth was a Big West All-Conference honorable mention last season, and will play for the Greek Olympic team in this year's Summer Olympics in Athens.
Double-Duty:
Junior transfer Marcel Torres has been very productive in both the circle and at the plate this season. For the second time this season, Torres was named as the BWC Co-Pitcher of the Week after her dominating performance the Kipa Aloha Classic (Mar. 4-7) after pitching 19.0 innings, allowing just one run on nine hits and 20 strikeouts. Torres did not allow a double, triple, or home run versus her opponents. Torres produced a season-high nine strikeouts versus Charleston on 3/6. She was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher. She also did damage at the plate in the Kipa Tournament, notching a two-run home run, her first of the season, versus Charleston on Mar. 6.Torres was named the Big West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week (2/24) after tossing a shutout against the then No. 4-ranked Washington Huskies on Feb. 20 at the 14th Annual Campbell/Cartier Classic hosted by San Diego State. The junior went 7.0 innings, and allowed just four hits, and issued two walks with four strikeouts, in the 1-0 LBSU victory. Torres picked up her second victory of the season versus Santa Clara on Jan. 31 when she allowed one run on four hits and three strikeouts in seven innings. Torres pitched seven shutout innings in a 4-0 win over Santa Clara on Feb. 8. Torres shutdown No. 4-ranked Washington allowing just four hits in a 1-0 victory on Feb. 20. Torres has also been efficient at the plate, notching a .232 batting average with 22 hits (three doubles) and 12 RBI, and five runs scored. Torres knocked in two runs in the fifth inning at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 31. Torres has accumulated a 10-2 record and a 1.00 ERA in 76.2 innings pitched, allowing just 11 earned runs and 58 strikeouts.
No Sir:
Lindsey Knoff picked up her sixth consecutive victory in a 9-1 LBSU win over Dartmouth on Mar. 25. Knoff went 4.0 innings and allowed one run on just three hits. She pitched her first career no-hitter in a 7-0 victory over Canisius on 3/17. In fact Knoff had a perfect game into the sixth inning of that contest. For the week, Mar. 17-21, Knoff compiled a 3-0 record and a 0.64 ERA. Knoff went 2-0 in the Fresno State Tournament (3/11-14), giving up just eight hits without allowing a run in 14.0 innings of work for 0.00 ERA. She returned from an ankle injury in the Kipa Aloha Classic (Mar. 4-7) and recorded her 300th career strikeout in a 4-1 win over College of Charleston on 3/5. Knoff went 7.0 innings and allowed just one run on four hits and six strikeouts in her return to the circle. Her 322 career strikeouts are No. 7 all-time at The Beach. Knoff moved to No. 5 all-time in innings pitched this season (73.0) with 612.5 career innings pitched. Knoff has won six straight games, and has compiled a 8-2 mark this season with a 0.96 ERA in 73.0 innings.
LJ OK:
Lauren Johnson posted her best season in a 49er uniform last season, and has shown no signs thus far of slowing down in 2004. Johnson scored seven runs and drove in four from Mar. 17-21. In fact Johnson was the hero in LBSU's 5-4 win over Wisconsin (3/19) after she hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game. Johnson scored seven runs and drove in four, and hit one home run in the Kipa Aloha Classic (Mar. 4-7). Johnson hit a two-run home run in the championship game versus Hawai'i (3/7) to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning. She went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI vs. Siena on Mar. 4. She generated both runs in the pair of 1-0 victories on Feb. 20 versus No. 4-ranked Washington and Ohio. LJ went 3-for-3 with a .429 batting average in the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego (2/20-21) with three runs, a double, and an RBI. She connected for her seventh RBI of the season in the fifth inning versus Iowa State on 2/21. Johnson went 6-for-15 in the UCSB Early Bird Tournament with three runs and four RBI, and one home run. Johnson has also added two stolen bases to her totals this season as well. Johnson went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the 49ers come-from-behind victory versus Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 30. Johnson hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning versus Oregon State to give Long Beach State a 5-1 lead and eventual win. Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in LBSU's 4-1 win over San Diego State on Feb. 7. Johnson is batting .268 with 22 runs, 16 RBI, 26 hits, and four stolen bases this season.
If You Smell What the Rock is Cookin':
Catcher, Roxanne Staniorski was named to the all-tournament team at the Clovis Auto Row Softball Classic in Fresno (Mar.11-14). Roxanne went 6-for-18 (.333 batting average) with one run, a double and an RBI. She hit a two-out RBI single in the 4th inning to score Jamie Farnworth in a 1-0 win over North Texas (3/13). For the season, Staniorski has a .267 batting average, and has collected four doubles and 10 RBI as well.
Double Down: The school record holder in career-doubles (40), Arleigh Thorp, has already connected for six this season, to go along with a .282 batting average, with 22 runs scored, and 21 RBI. Thorp compiled a .435 batting average from Mar. 17-21, compiling 10 hits and 10 RBI. She hit a grand slam versus Tennessee State. In fact her five RBI vs. TSU were tied for the third most in a single game in school history. For her efforts, Thorp was named as the Big West Conference Player of the Week (3/23). Thorp belted out seven hits in 18 at bats for a .389 batting average in the Kipa Aloha Classic (Mar. 4-7). She helped LBSU rally from a 1-0 deficit in the championship game versus Hawai'i with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning on March 7. She also scored five runs and drove in four in the tournament as well. Thorp hit a two-run home run, her first of the season in the Campbell/Cartier Classic versus Iowa State in the first inning to propel the 49ers to a 6-2 victory. Thorp moved to No. 4 all-time at The Beach this season with 79 career RBI's.
Good Hands with Gervasi in Right Field:
Freshman Kourtnee Gervasi notched an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning to help give LBSU a 1-0 victory over Dartmouth on Mar. 25. She helped LBSU grind out a 2-1 win over Sacramento State on Mar. 21 at the plate and in the field. She connected for her first career home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score a 1-1. Then in the top of the eighth inning, she prevented a possible go-ahead run and threw out Sac. St. player, Amy Walter from right field to first base with two outs to preserve the 1-1 score heading into the bottom of the inning. Gervasi has patrolled the right field with a 1.000 fielding percentage (25 put outs, 3 assists). Gervasi also has compiled a .211 batting average with 11 runs, 15 hits (two doubles), and five RBI. Gervasi went 3-for-9 (.333) with two runs scored in the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego (Feb. 20-21).
Burdick's Golden Glove:
Senior Colleen Burdick has been steady at first base all season with 281 put outs and 13 assists (no errors) for a 1.000 fielding percentage. At the lead-off slot, Burdick has compiled a .267 batting average, with 31 hits (five doubles, two triples), 20 runs, and 15 RBI. Burdick batted .286 with two home runs in the Kipa Aloha Classic (Mar. 4-7) in Honolulu. She went 3-for-6 with three runs in the double-header vs. Dartmouth (Mar. 25).
Fast Starts:
Long Beach State has out-scored its opposition, 29-10 in the first inning this season. In fact LBSU generated 12 runs in the first inning alone versus Siena in the Kipa Aloha Classic on March 4. It was the second most runs scored in an inning in program history. LBSU has also generated the bulk of its runs in the 2nd (16), 4th (28), 5th (23), and 7th innings (13).
49ers Picked 1st:
Long Beach State was selected to capture the 2004 conference crown, according to the Big West Coaches poll released in January. The 49ers return all nine starters from 2003 that finished 17-3 in conference play.
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