Long Beach State University
UC Santa Barbara
Softball Falls Just Short In Series Finale
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 20, 2008
Santa Barbara, Calif. - Jennifer Griffin continued her hot hitting, going two for three with a home run as the 49ers scored seven runs but gave up eight in a defeat at UC Santa Barbara. Long Beach State's four errors led to five unearned runs as the 49ers fall to 33-12 on the year.
The 49ers struck first with the long ball, as Jennifer Griffin hit her second home run of the series to put Long Beach State ahead 1-0 in the first inning. However, UC Santa Barbara answered right back in the bottom half as Tisha Duran hit her 13th home run of the season to tie the score.
A leadoff double from Nicole Churnock in the bottom of the third started a rally for UCSB that would give the Gauchos their first lead of the weekend. Christine Ramos would follow Churnock with a single, and a sacrifice fly from Jessica Ziegler made the score 2-1. Ramos would then score on a Tiffany Wright single.
Long Beach State answered back in the top of the fourth with four runs. Brooke LeSage started the inning with a single, part of four straight hits for the 49ers that brought in a first run. Snagging a first out at home, a Gaucho overthrow brought in a second run, and a two-run single from Franciska Morlet scored two more runs.
In the bottom half, Long Beach State looked to get out unscathed despite runners reaching second and third with two outs, but a fly ball to left field was dropped by Lacy Tyler, and the 49ers ended up giving up five runs in the inning after a second error.
The 49ers made a run at the Gauchos in the top of the fifth with a Danielle Linke home run, but the team left two runners on in an attempt to tie the game, coming just short at 8-7.
Long Beach State returns home next weekend, playing a three-game series against UC Riverside on April 26-27. Action on both days will start at 1 p.m. at the 49er softball complex.
