Long Beach State University
UC Riverside
Beach takes UCR series with 5-3 comeback victory
5/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 3, 2009
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Long Beach State softball team came back from an early 3-0 deficit to claim the rubber game of its series against UC Riverside by a 5-3 margin at Amy S. Harrison Field on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the 49ers improve to 31-19 overall and 12-6 in the Big West Conference. The Highlanders fell to 18-29 overall, 7-11 BWC.
Senior Kelly Cross (2-1) earned the win in the circle, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings of relief. Cross allowed just two hits and two walks, while registering a pair of strikeouts. Freshman Taylor Petty started the contest, giving up three earned runs on four hits and three walks.
Senior Jonae Perez spearheaded the comeback with a three-run blast, marking her second home run of the season. Classmate Brianna Goad also tallied a pair of RBI to lead the 49ers.
UCR jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of RBI singles. The Highlanders added one more in the third when Marissa Alvidrez connected for her second long ball of the weekend.
The Beach got on the board in the fourth frame, pulling within one at 3-2. Junior Ashley Levine led off with a base hit and sophomore Casey Burba followed with a pinch-hit infield single. Goad then brought both runners home, delivering a two-run base hit to left field.
LBSU continued to trail until coming up big in the top of the seventh. Junior Ashley Weber, who had already extended her current hitting streak to a season-high six games, reached on an error and advanced to third on a double by senior Jennifer Griffin. Perez then drove a three-run blast over the right field fence, securing the 5-3 win for the 49ers.
Long Beach State returns to action next weekend when it closes out the regular season at Pacific, May 8-9. The two teams will tangle in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday, before closing out the series with a single game on Saturday (noon).
