Long Beach State University
UC Riverside
Pitchers Lead Way To Doubleheader Sweep
4/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - Brooke Turner struck out 11 Highlanders in game one to hold on for a 2-1 victory, and Bridgette Pagano smacked a two-run homer to help put Long Beach State ahead for good in a 4-3 win in the second game against UC Riverside. Turner's 11 K's gave her 198 on the season, setting the Beach single-season record.
Long Beach State received another dominant pitching performance from their freshman star in game one, as Turner posted double-digit strikeouts for the seventh time on the year while giving up three hits.
The 49ers struck first in the bottom of the second inning, starting off with a Lacy Tyler single. A walk to Ashley Levine put two runners on base, and after moving the runners on a bunt, a walk to Franciska Morlet loaded the bases. UCR starter Amanda Klimczak was able to pick up one out, striking out Jessica Beaver, but a third walk in the inning forced home a run for Long Beach State.
Combining two of their three hits in the top of the fourth, the Highlanders were able to tie the game. Veronica Yee started the inning with a single up the middle, and would score on a Cassie Greenawalt single after being sacrificed over by Marissa Alvidrez.
Long Beach State would answer in dramatic fashion, ending the game in the seventh inning after Morlet began the inning with a single. Beaver would ground into a fielder's choice, rubbing out the lead runner, but a third walk by Jonae Perez in the game put the winning run in scoring position. Brooke LeSage would then come through, singling in the gap to bring home Beaver and end the opener 2-1.
Game two was also back and forth as the teams would trade one-run leads throughout. UC Riverside got the jump on the 49ers scoring in the top of the first after April Murray started the game with a single. Pagano would walk her only batter of the game in Alvidrez, and Katie Curtis hit a RBI double-to left.
The Beach answered in the bottom half, as Jessica Beaver also started with a leadoff single. A sacrifice bunt moved her to second, and LeSage would get her second RBI of the game, scoring Beaver from second on a single. The inning would continue with a Danielle Linke walk, and Lacy Tyler put the 49ers ahead as a hard hit ball to second slipped past Murray and into the outfield.
UCR answered back in the third, as Veronica Yee reached on a two-base error by Beaver, and the lapse was followed by a two-run homer by Alvidrez to put the Highlanders on top 3-2. Coming into the bottom of the fourth, the score remained the same, but Lacy Tyler singled to center to get on base, and Pagano dropped her first home run of the season to left field to get back the lead.
Just after taking the lead, the 49ers had to battle through one more jam. Alvidrez began the inning with a double to the gap, and Katie Curtis singled just over the head of Beaver to put two runners on. Greenawalt then beat out a bunt to load the bases with no outs. Having already spent a pinch runner for Alvidrez, a flyout to left field was not enough to score, and a head's up throw from Tyler picked off Curtis at second base for the double-play. With two outs, Pagano was able to get a groundout from Brooke Hebenton and end both the inning and the threat.
Both Tyler and LeSage had three hits on the day for Long Beach State, as the 49ers improved to 35-12 overall and 11-3 in Big West play. Individually, Turner moved to 22-4, and Pagano improved to 13-8 on the season.
Long Beach State will try to complete a sweep of UC Riverside on Sunday, as the two teams meet for a third time. First pitch in that game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday at the 49er Softball Complex.
