49ers Tangle with Davis in Non-Conference Action
LBSU Sits in Second Place in BWC Standings
May 2, 2006 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE 26-18, 11-4 Big West
home: 15-7 • away: 4-5 • neutral: 7-6
Long Beach State tangles with UC Davis for a three-game series (non-conference) this weekend, May 6-7. The 49ers are in second place in the Big West standings with one remaining BWC series at UCSB, May 12-13.
Turner Grabs Sixth Pitcher of the Week:
Michelle Turner established another school and conference record with her sixth Big West Pitcher of the Week selection after it was announced on Monday from the league office. Turner (Buena Park) continued to climb the 49er record book with wins No. 21 and 22 (to go along with a save) in Long Beach State's three-game sweep of Pacific last weekend. Her 22nd win on Sunday tied Kristi Fox for fifth place for most wins in a single season. Annette Gonzales owns the LBSU record for most wins in a season (25), set in 1988. Turner notched her seventh shutout of the season in game one of the series on Saturday, allowing just two hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts in the 1-0 win. In fact at one point, Turner recorded seven straight strikeouts. In game two, Turner relieved Lacy Tyler in the sixth inning, with the 49ers leading 1-0, and recorded the final two outs of the frame, and followed up in the seventh inning with a strikeout to end the game for her second save of the season. For the week, Turner allowed just four runs on nine hits with one walk and 15 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched with a 1.79 ERA. This season Turner leads the league in wins and ERA (1.56). She has also accumulated 162 strikeouts (No. 3 in the Big West).
About UC Davis:
The Aggies lost two of three to CS Fullerton, but won the final game of the series, 4-1 on Sunday...Davis owns a 14-32 record...Two players, Belinda Paine and Ashley Johnson are hitting over .300 for the season...Lindsay Tognetti has posted a 7-13 record with a 2.31 ERA in the circle.
Pacific Recap:
Long Beach State held off a late rally from Pacific and earned the series sweep with a 7-4 win on Sunday afternoon from the 49er Softball Complex. It was the last home game for seniors Tiffanie Wedell and Melanie McCauley. Wedell finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while McCauley went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Jonae Perez went 4-for-4 with three RBI. After Pacific struck first with a run in the first inning, the 49ers responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Jonae Perez's two RBI single to score Wedell and Breezy Goad was the difference. The 49ers added another two runs in the bottom of the second inning after Kourtnee Gervasi scored on a wild pitch, followed by another RBI single from Perez to plate Wedell to put LBSU up 4-1. Solid pitching from Michelle Turner and Lacy Tyler turned out to be the difference in the Long Beach State's two 1-0 wins over Pacific from the 49er Softball Complex on Saturday afternoon. LBSU moved to 25-18, 10-4 in Big West play, while Pacific fell to 24-20, 5-6 Big West play. It was all Turner in game one, as she collected her 21st win in the circle (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 9 K). It was also her seventh shutout of the season. Turner's 21 wins tied Mary Letourneau's 21 wins in 1990 for the sixth most in a single season. The Big West Pitcher of the Year candidate leads the conference in ERA (1.47) and wins. Jonae Perez's RBI single in the sixth inning to score Tiffanie Wedell was all the 49ers needed for the 1-0 win. Lacy Tyler earned her second win in the circle after she had a one-hit shutout thru 5.1 innings and LBSU leading 1-0, before Turner pitched the final 1.2 innings for her second save of the season. The duo combined to give up just two hits and one walk. Melanie McCauley's RBI single in the second inning to plate Tyler was the difference. McCauley also made history in game one as she hit her 23rd career double, 10th all-time in 49er history.
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:
Just two weeks remain in the Big West softball regular season, and three teams have emerged with legitimate shots at the conference title. Two of those teams, Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton, face each other this week in a crucial series up the Central Coast. The third team is Long Beach State, which plays a non-conference series against UC Davis.
Cal State Fullerton currently owns the first place lead by just percentage points over Long Beach State and by one game over Cal Poly. The 49ers have played three more games than both the Titans and Mustangs. Pending the outcome of the Titan-Mustang series, it's possible for LBSU to be in first place all alone, tied for first or in second at weekend's end. Cal State Fullerton has lost five of the last six meetings against Cal Poly despite holding a 27-12 all-time series advantage.
The Titans went 3-2 last week, but have still won 10 of their last 13 games. In fact, CSF climbed over the 30-win plateau for the eighth time in the last nine seasons after sweeping a doubleheader versus UC Davis last Saturday.
Cal Poly took the first two games of last weekend's series with UC Santa Barbara to extend its winning streak to a season-high eight games. But the Gauchos won the final game to put an end to the streak. The Mustangs have won 15 of their last 19 games and possess a sparkling 12-3 record at Bob Janssen Field this season. The Mustangs swept the Titans in 2004 when the two teams last played in San Luis Obispo.
Long Beach State has won four straight and six of its last seven contests. The 49ers are in position to win their third straight Big West title.
Looking ahead to the final week of league play, CSF hosts UC Riverside, LBSU travels to UC Santa Barbara and CP treks to Pacific.
Rounding out the Big West schedule this week, the Highlanders host the Gauchos and the Matadors travel to the Tigers. Pacific, in first place two weeks ago, has now lost six straight games.
No Sweeps Here:
Long Beach State has not been swept in a conference series since the 2002 season. And just to let you know, LBSU won 20 straight conference series from April 26, 2003 to April 9, 2006. The streak was snapped at CS Fullerton on Apr. 15, 2006. After its series win over Pacific (Apr. 29-30), LBSU has won 21 of its last 22 conference series since April of 2003.
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 29 runs in the third inning and 32 in the fifth inning. ...The 49ers are 15-2 when leading after four innings (4-12 when trailing after four innings; 7-4 when tied after four innings)...Long Beach State is 2-6 vs. teams in the Top 25 this season, and 13-4 vs. teams ranked in the West Region
Player Notes
# 15 Michelle Turner (Big West Pitcher of the Year Candidate)
>>> Six-time Big West Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 20, Mar. 13, Mar. 20, Apr. 3, Apr. 10, May 1)
>>> 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 another school and conference record with her sixth Big West Pitcher of the Week selection on May 1. Turner tied Meredith Cervenka on Apr. 3 as the only other player in program history to garner four Pitcher of the Week honors
>>>Became the eighth pitcher in school history to win at least 20 games in the circle for a single season on Apr. 23
>>Tied Kristi Fox for fifth place on Apr. 30 for most wins (22) in a single season
• Leads the 49ers with four HR and 24 RBI this season, and has compiled a .257 batting average
• Has a team-high 13 doubles
• Has 162 strikeouts in the circle with a 22-8 record and a 1.56 ERA. She has walked just 17 batters all season
• Turner notched her seventh shutout of the season in game one vs. Pacific (4/29), allowing just two hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts in the 1-0 win. In fact at one point, Turner recorded seven straight strikeouts.
• Went 3-0 for the week of Apr. 17-23, and recorded 23 strikeouts with just three earned runs and five walks.
• 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 (1.56)
• Ranks No. 2 in the Big West in Opp BA (.204)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Wins (22)
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in K's (162)
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in Doubles (13)
#2 Jessica Beaver
• Connected for her third HR of the season (first career grand slam) in the fifth inning to help lift Long Beach State to a 5-1 win over CS Fullerton on Apr. 19
• 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 .217 batting average with 21 runs and 20 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
• Has posted a .271 batting average and has scored a team-high 24 runs
• 9-for-13 on stolen base attempts (No. 5 in the Big West)
• Had the game-winning RBI with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning in G3 vs. UC Riverside on Apr. 23
• 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 .244 with 18 runs scored and 15 RBI
• Has had two five-game hitting streaks (Feb. 10-12, Feb. 23-Mar. 3)
• 8-for-9 in stolen base attempts (No. 10 in the Big West)
• Hit .500 (4-for-8) with three runs and two RBI on the Pacific series (May 6-7)...Had the key hit in G3 of the series when her two RBI single gave LBSU a 7-2 lead
• 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
• Posted a .714 batting average (5-for-7 with two runs and an RBI) in the Pacific series (Apr. 29-30)...Scored the game-tying run in G3 on a wild pitch in the first inning...Had an RBI double also in G3
• 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 .274, with 16 runs and 13 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)
49er Notables...
Jonae Perez is hitting .400 in conference play and .305 overall (No. 1 on the team) this season...Perez went 4-for-4 with three RBI in G3 vs. Pacific on Apr. 30...Jessica Beaver has six RBI and six runs scored in BWC play...Opponents are hitting just .188 vs. Michelle Turner in league play...Lacy Tyler earned her second win in the circle after she had a one-hit shutout thru 5.1 innings and LBSU leading 1-0 in G2 vs. Pacific on Apr. 29...Melanie McCauley made history in G1 vs. Pacific (4/29) as she hit her 23rd career double, 10th all-time in 49er history. |
