49ers Down Gauchos Twice
Claim a Share of Second Stright BWC Crown
May 7, 2005 | SOFTBALL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | | R | H | E | RECORDS | | UCSB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 5 | 1 | 26-17, 9-7 | | Long Beach State | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | x | - | 6 | 6 | 1 | 34-14, 14-2 | WP: Meredith Cervenka (21-6)
LP: Jennifer Davis Box Score
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| SOFTBALL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | | R | H | E | RECORDS | | UCSB | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 6 | 0 | 26-18, 9-8 | | Long Beach State | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | x | - | 8 | 9 | 0 | 35-14, 15-2 | WP: Marcel Torres (14-6)
LP: Lindsey Sommer Box Score
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LONG BEACH, CA – The No. 24-ranked Long Beach State softball team defeated UC Santa Barbara, 6-2 and 8-1 in a pair of Big West Conference games at the 49er Softball Complex on Saturday. Long Beach State improved to 35-14, 15-2 Big West, while the Gauchos fell to 26-18, 9-8 Big West.
The two victories all but assure Long Beach State its second straight Big West Conference title. The 49ers have four league games remaining, and Pacific lost both of its conference games to CS Fullerton earlier this afternoon. The losses drop Pacific to 10-7 in league play, and improve CS Fullerton to 10-7. Second place Cal Poly (12-6 Big West) has no games scheduled this weekend, and LBSU took two-of-three from Cal Poly last weekend, thus securing the tiebreaker over the Mustangs.
In game one of the double-header, Long Beach State fell 1-0 in the top of the first inning, but quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning when senior Lauren Johnson hit a solo home run over the center field wall. It was her 12th home run of the season, second most in a single-season in program history (Jessica Smith, 13 in 2000).
Long Beach State added another run in the third inning, courtesy of an Oli Keohohou solo home run over left center field to give the 49ers a 2-1 lead.
A Tiffanie Wedell RBI single in the fourth plated Brooke LeSage for the 3-1 LBSU lead, before a three-run home run from senior Marcel Torres in the sixth inning sealed the victory for good.
Senior pitcher Meredith Cervenka secured her 21st victory in the circle after going seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with six strikeouts.
Game two saw UCSB jump on the board first in the second inning, and Long Beach State scoring the equalizer in the bottom of the inning when a Johnson RBI single scored freshman Jessica Beaver, who doubled, to tie the score at 1-1.
Long Beach State broke the game open in the fourth inning with five runs. In fact LBSU scored all five of its runs with two outs in the inning. Melanie McCauley connected for a double to plate both Keohohou and Jonae Perez. A Kourtnee Gervasi single followed to plate McCauley and Lacy Tyler. A Beaver double eventually scored Gervasi to complete the five-run fourth.
Torres picked up the victory in the circle to improve to 14-6. She allowed one run on six hits and four strikeouts. Beaver finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
Long Beach State wraps up its three-game series vs. UC Santa Barbara on May 8 at 1:00 p.m. LBSU says goodbye to its six seniors – Lindsay Marksbury, Oli Keohohou, Lauren Johnson, Meredith Cervenka, Marcel Torres, and Melissa Backstrom.
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