Late Inning Heroics Give 49ers A DH Sweep
Burdick and Backstrom are hitting heroes in wins over Pacific
May 01, 2004 LONG BEACH, CA -- It took awhile, but it was worth the wait Saturday as the Long Beach State softball team defeated Pacific twice in its last at-bat to sweep a doubleheader 4-3 and 3-2 at the 49er Softball Complex. The two wins kept the #19 49ers on top of the Big West with a 12-2 mark (42-10 overall), while #24 Pacific fell to 9-5 in conference play (31-17 overall).
Game one took an extra frame as The Beach won it in eight innings. Pinch hitter Melissa Backstrom knocked a single through the leftside that scored Melanie McCauley from third base. Kristen Allen (1-1) was working her fourth inning of relief for Pacific when the winning run scored. McCauley had lead off the inning with a double and advanced to third by beating out the throw on Rocky Staniorski's sacrifice bunt.
Long Beach State was forced into extra innings by a two-out rally by the Tigers. 49er starter Meredith Cervenka ( 17-5) retired the first two batters of the seventh inning before a Jennifer Harrell single. Then, Michelle Anunciation lifted a looper over the head of second baseman Tiffany Wedell. As Wedell chased backward, rightfielder Melanie McCauley called her off and missed a diving attempt, knocking the ball toward left field. Harell scored all the way from first to tie the game at 3-3.
The first 49er runs all came unearned against Tiger starting pitcher Natalie King. The Beach capitalized on four errors by Pacific, three of them on third baseman Crystal Presson. A two-run rally in the fourth inning capped by a Jamie Farnworth walk gave the 49ers a 3-1 lead. Pacific got within one run in the fifth with a Jennifer Curtier RBI-single.
Cervenka went the distance in getting the win. She struck out nine batters, gave up nine hits, and walked two in the game.
Lindsey Knoff (13-3) picked up the win in game two thanks to a two-run bottom of the seventh inning. Colleen Burdick was the hero, ending the game with an rbi-single for her second run driven in of the game. The Beach had to rally back from a 2-1 deficit after a two-run top half of the seventh by Pacific.
Knoff had given up just two hits going into the inning but faced Allen with two on and two out after giving up two singles. A changeup by Knoff on a full count was belted into centerfield scoring Ashlie D'Errico and Brandi Gordon to give the Tigers their only lead of the game.
Long Beach State struck right back with Kourtnee Gervasi's leadoff single. She was sacrificed to second before scoring on a single by Staniorski, who moved to second on the play at the plate. One out later, Burdick singled up the middle scoring pinch-runner Cassie Preece.
Earlier in the game, Burdick had opened the game's scoring in the fifth inning with a two-out laser over Gordon's head in left field that scored Wedell. Jennifer Dacre took the loss for Pacific, falling to 12-10 on the year.
The two teams will complete their three-game series Sunday at 1pm. Box Score (G1)
Box Score (G2)
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