LBSU Travels to CSUN; Fullerton
49ers Will Play Their Make-Up Game at Northridge Tomorrow
April 11, 2006 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE 19-15, 4-1 Big West
home: 10-6 • away: 2-3 • neutral: 7-6 Quickly:
Before a weekend battle between longtime rivals Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton takes place (Apr. 14-15), LBSU will make-up its game at CS Northridge tomorrow, Apr. 12 at 1 pm. The 49er and Titan programs have combined to win the last seven Big West championships and enter this weekend's games at the top of the standings once again.
Turner Sets School and Conference Record:
Junior Michelle Turner established a school and conference record with her fifth Big West Pitcher of the Week selection after it was announced on Monday from the league office. Turner, last week, tied Meredith Cervenka as the only other player in program history to garner four Pitcher of the Week honors. The 5-9 right-hander from Buena Park collected wins No. 15 and 16 in the circle and hit .400 at the plate as Long Beach State took 2-of-3 over Cal Poly last weekend. After surrendering a run in the top of the fourth inning to Cal Poly in game one on Saturday, Turner held the Mustangs at bay, allowing just three more hits the rest of the way as LBSU won, 3-1. Turner also connected for a double and a run scored in game one. Turner posted her sixth shutout of the season after Long Beach State's 1-0 win over the Mustangs on Sunday. Turner allowed just four hits and struck out five. Turner also produced the RBI single in the first inning, scoring Breezy Goad from third base. For the week, Turner (16-7) compiled a 0.50 ERA with nine strikeouts over 14 innings pitched and no walks. Turner has not walked a batter and has allowed just one run over her last 16 innings pitched. She leads the conference in wins (16), and has produced a conference-low 1.43 ERA with 114 strikeouts this season.
Cal Poly Recap (Apr. 8-9):
After losing 1-0 in game two on Saturday, Long Beach State returned the favor with a 1-0 game three win over the visiting Cal Poly Mustangs to win the series on Sunday afternoon from the 49er Softball Complex. Junior Michelle Turner was the difference at the plate and the circle for The Beach. After Breezy Goad led off the first inning with a double, Tiffanie Wedell laid down a bunt single to advance Goad to third base. Turner then connected for a single to plate Goad. Cal Poly was unable to get a hit off Turner over the next three innings, before making things interesting in the seventh inning when it had runners on second and third with two outs. However Lisa Modglin lined out to LBSU third baseman, Melanie McCauley to end the game. Turner earned her 16th win in the circle and her sixth shutout of the season (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 K).
LBSU earned a split with the Mustangs at the 49er Softball Complex, taking game one, 3-1, but falling 1-0 in game two on Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs scored their lone run (in game two) in the top of the fifth inning when Lisa Modglin?s two-out RBI single scored Jessica Rogers from third base. Cal Poly's Robyn Kontra pitched a three-hit shutout in the second game to earn her ninth win of the season. Jennifer Martinez allowed just one run on five hits with five strikeouts. Martinez fell to 2-8 in the circle. The 49ers left five runners on base in the contest. Long Beach State used a three-run fourth inning to prevail 3-1 over Cal Poly in the first game of the day. After LBSU starting pitcher Michelle Turner gave up a solo home run to Chelsea Green in the top of the fourth, Turner came right back in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff double. After Jessica Beaver's single moved Turner to third base, Jonae Perez connected for a single to plate both Beaver and Turner to give LBSU a 2-1 lead. Breezy Goad's RBI single later in the inning plated Melanie McCauley. Turner shutdown the Mustangs the rest of the way, allowing just three more hits. Headlines in ‘06
• Long Beach State will try and win its third consecutive Big West Title (6th overall) in program history
• The 49ers were picked second, behind CS Fullerton in the annual Big West Pre-Season Coaches Poll, released in January
• Long Beach State lost three first-team all-conference performers last year (Meredith Cervenka, Lauren Johnson, Marcel Torres). Cervenka was a three-time BWC Co-Pitcher of the Year, while Torres was a two-time BWC Co-Pitcher of the Year
• Keep an eye on: Jonae Perez, Michelle Turner, and Tiffanie Wedell. Perez was the 2005 Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year. Wedell has been the staple at second base for the 49ers. She was a 2005 Big West Honorable Mention, and Michelle Turner is a transfer pitcher from UCLA.
• Long Beach State has a very young squad, featuring seven newcomers (six freshmen). Michelle Turner is a junior.
• The 49ers have played six opponents ranked in the Top-25 (UCLA, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington, Mississippi State, and Northwestern) this season. Long Beach State is 2-6 vs. teams ranked in the Top 25 this season
Big West News:
LBSU is a season-high four games above .500 after winning seven of its last 10 games. CSF also has won seven of its last 10 outings and is five games over .500 for the first time all year. The 49ers are receiving votes in the April 5 USA Today/NFCA top 25 poll, with the next one scheduled to come out on Wednesday.
The 49ers will either be tied for first or in first all alone once they take the field against the Titans. LBSU first must travel to Cal State Northridge on Wednesday in a makeup game of an April 3 rainout that would have concluded a season-opening Big West series. LBSU won the first two games, 3-2 and 8-4, and goes for the sweep against the last place Matadors, which have struggled to a 1-4 start to Big West play.
Pacific currently shares second place with Cal State Fullerton in terms of winning percentage, but has played three less league games than the Titans. The Tigers are on the road in conference action for the second straight week as they visit UC Riverside. Pacific has captured wins in nine of its last 13 games. The Tigers outscored UC Santa Barbara 14-1 to win the final two contests after dropping game one of last weekend's series. The Highlanders have struggled with losses in six of their last eight games, but return to the friendly confines of Amy S. Harrison Field, where they boast a 13-2 record this season.
In pursuit of .500 for the first time this season, Cal Poly welcomes Cal State Northridge to San Luis Obispo this weekend. The Mustangs join CSF and LBSU as the third team in the conference to have won seven of their last 10 games. CP and LBSU engaged in a weekend-long pitcher's duel that yielded just six runs all of last weekend. The Matadors hold a 24-7 advantage since 1996, but were swept last season by the Mustangs. UC Santa Barbara travels to UC Davis for a non-league affair to round out the schedule.
A Look Inside the Numbers:
Long Beach State has been most productive in the third and fifth innings of games this season. The 49ers have scored a total of 24 runs in the third inning and 23 in the fifth inning. ...The 49ers are 12-2 when leading after four innings (3-9 when trailing after four innings; 4-4 when tied after four innings)...Long Beach State is 2-6 vs. teams in the Top 25 this season, and 6-1 vs. teams ranked in the West Region
Player Notes
# 15 Michelle Turner (Big West Pitcher of the Year Candidate)
>>> Five-time Big West Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 20, Mar. 13, Mar. 20, Apr. 3, Apr. 10)
>>> Pitched the seventh perfect game in school history (was the sixth player to throw a perfect game) and added a career-high 11 strikeouts in Long Beach State's 8-0 win over Mercer on Mar. 10
>>>Established a school and conference record with her fifth Big West Pitcher of the Week selection on Apr. 10. Turner tied Meredith Cervenka on Apr. 3 as the only other player in program history to garner four Pitcher of the Week honors
• Leads the 49ers with four HR and 23 RBI this season, and has compiled a .275 batting average (second on the team)
• Has a team-high 12 doubles
• Has 114 strikeouts in the circle with a 16-7 record and a 1.43 ERA
• Turner picked up two wins in the circle (Apr. 8-9) and posted her sixth shutout of the season after Long Beach State's 1-0 win over Cal Poly (4/9). Turner allowed just four hits and struck out five. She also produced the RBI single in the first inning, scoring Breezy Goad from third base.
• Collected wins No. 13 and 14 at CS Northridge (Apr. 2). In game one, Turner allowed just two runs on four hits to go along with six strikeouts in the 3-2 victory. Moreover, the 49ers rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a three-run sixth inning. Turner held strong in the bottom half of the sixth and seventh innings without allowing a hit...Also went 2-for-4 with two doubles in G2
• Recorded her fifth shutout of the season in the 1-0 win over Utah Valley State on Mar. 19
• Tossed a three-hitter to lead Long Beach State to a 4-1 victory over Wichita State to open the Hillenbrand Invitational (Mar. 3)
• Had two 2-run home runs and nine strikeouts in the circle to lift Long Beach State to a 7-4 win over South Florida at the Hillenbrand Invitational (3/4)
• Tossed a three-hit shutout and went 2-for-4 from the plate with a pair of RBI in LBSU's G1 win over Southern Utah (Feb. 22)
• Went 2-for-2 with a run and RBI vs. Wagner on Feb. 25
• Pitched a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts (no walks) in LBSU's 1-0 win over UCLA on Feb. 15. Also scored the game-winning run in that contest
• Made her 49er debut by pitching a one-hit shutout (with five strikeouts) in the 4-0 season-opening win over Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 10. Turner also connected for a two-run home run in the fifth inning of that game
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in ERA (1.43)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Opp BA (.207)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Wins (16)
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in K's (114)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Doubles (12)
• Ranks No. 7 in the Big West in RBI (23)
#2 Jessica Beaver
• Hit the game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of G2 to lift LBSU to a 5-3 win over Utah Valley State on Mar. 19
• Has two of Long Beach State's five triples this season
• Has compiled a .213 batting average with 18 runs and 15 RBI
• Connected for a three-run triple vs. Mercer on Mar. 10
• Hit .267 at the Hillenbrand Invitational, Mar. 3-5, with two runs, one HR, and three RBI. Hit a two-run home run in the first inning in LBSU's 4-1 win over Wichita State (3/3)
• Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the season opening win over Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 10)
• Went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, including a three-run double in the fifth inning in LBSU's 11-6 win over Southern Utah on Feb. 10
# 1 Breezy Goad
• Leads the team with a .326 batting average and has scored a team-high 20 runs
• 8-for-10 on stolen base attempts (No. 3 in the Big West)
• Scored the game-winning run in G3 vs. Cal Poly in the first inning (4/9)
• Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in LBSU's 8-4 G2 win at CS Northridge on Apr. 2
• Was 2-for-4 with a solo HR in the first inning vs. Northwestern on Mar. 25
• Hit the game-winning RBI single in the seventh inning of G1 to help LBSU to the 1-0 win on Mar. 19...Hit .429 in the double-header vs. Utah Valley State (3-for-7)
• Hit .357 at the Long Beach State Invitational (Mar. 10-12), including a 4-for-5 performance with four RBI vs. Syracuse on Mar. 11
#3 Tiffanie Wedell
• Hitting .248 with 14 runs scored and 12 RBI
• Has had two five-game hitting streaks (Feb. 10-12, Feb. 23-Mar. 3)
• 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts (No. 5 in the Big West)
• Went 2-for-4 with two RBI including an RBI double in the seventh inning of G2 at CS Northridge (Apr. 2)
• Went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI vs. Kentucky on Feb. 24
• Had three RBI in LBSU's 6-2 win over Tulsa on Feb. 18
• Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the season opening win vs. Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 10)
• Went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the 11-6 win over Southern Utah (Feb. 10)
#16 Kourtnee Gervasi
• Hit .500 at CS Northridge (3-for-6 with a run scored) on Apr. 6
• Connected for a three-run HR in the fourth inning vs. Northwestern to tie the score at 5-5 (Mar. 25)...The 49ers went on to win 6-5.
• Had a six-game hitting streak (Feb. 10-18)
• Hitting .270, with 12 runs and 11 RBI
• Had a .444 batting average at the Long Beach State Invitational (Mar. 10-12), with three runs, three doubles, and an RBI
• Hit her first home run of the season with a two-run shot in the second inning vs. South Florida on Mar. 4
• Posted a .500 batting average for the week (Feb. 15-18) with a run and an RBI...Had the game-winning RBI in the 1-0 win over UCLA on Feb. 15
• Hit an RBI single in the third inning of LBSU's 11-6 win over Southern Utah (Feb. 10) |
