Long Beach State University
UC Santa Barbara
49ers sweep UCSB in softball doubleheader
4/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 30, 2011
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Freshman Sarah Carrasco delivered a RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning to lead Long Beach State to a 6-5 win in the second game against UC Santa Barbara and allow the 49ers to sweep the Gauchos in a Big West Conference doubleheader Saturday at the 49er Softball Complex. Freshman Erin Jones- Wesley picked up wins in both games, including her 10th shutout of the season in a 5-0 win in game one.
Jones-Wesley improved her record to 18-5 on the season, while giving up just one run in 12 innings in the two games. She tallied nine strikeouts and gave up just seven hits. Sophomore Caitrin DeBaun led the 49ers with five hits in the doubleheader.
Long Beach State improved to 32-14 on the season and 10-4 in Big West Conference play, while UCSB fell to 24-22 and 8-6 in league action. The 49ers sit in sole possession of second place in the Big West, one game behind Pacific which beat Cal State Fullerton twice on Saturday. The 49ers and Gauchos will finish their three-game weekend series Sunday at 1 p.m. at the 49er Softball Complex.
Game 1: Long Beach State 5, UC Santa Barbara 0
Jones-Wesley held UCSB to just five hits in seven innings finishing with her 15th complete game as the 49ers cruised to an easy win. DeBaun went 2-for-2 with two runs scored to lead the 49ers.
LBSU jumped out to an early lead scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Emily Gregorio, running for Hannah De Gaetano who reached when she was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, scored when shortstop Jessica Beristianos booted a ball hit by Carrasco.
The 49ers added three more runs in the third. Seniors Liz Javier and Christina Schallig drove in all three runs between them to give LBSU a 4-0 lead. Javier had a RBI single scoring DeBaun and Schallig followed with a two-run double driving in Nalani St. Germain and Javier.
St. Germain made it 5-0 in the fifth when she doubled to right field scoring DeBaun who had a two-out double of her own in the inning.
Game 2: Long Beach State 6, UC Santa Barbara 5 (13)
Carrasco and fellow freshman De Gaetano delivered extra inning heroics to push Long Beach State to a crucial doubleheader sweep of the Gauchos.
Carrasco singled over the second baseman's head with one out and two strikes to score De Gaetano to give the 49ers the victory. De Gaetano opened the decisive inning with a walk and moved to third on a double off the right field wall by DeBaun.
Carrasco's game-winning hit came two innings after De Gaetano led off the 11th inning with a solo home run to left field to tie the game after UCSB took a 5-4 lead in the top half of the inning.
DeBaun led LBSU with three hits in seven at-bats in game two while four other 49ers collected two hits. St. Germain, Carrasco and Javier were all 2-for-5, while De Gaetano went 2-for-6. Jones-Wesley grabbed the win, allowing a run on two hits in five innings of relief.
UCSB drew first blood scoring a pair of runs in the top of the second on a double by Amanda Ziegler. The 49ers answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Alisha Rosen singled through the left side to drive in Schallig and cut the lead in half.
Long Beach State took the lead in the bottom of the third with three runs, two of which were unearned. Carrasco drove in the first run with a single scoring De Gaetano who reached on an error to lead off the inning. DeBaun, who singled, scored on a wild pitch to give LBSU a 3-2 lead. Carrasco came in to score later in the inning scoring from third on an off target throw from centerfield after a shallow fly ball.
Long Beach State looked like it would cruise to a win in game two, but the Gauchos rallied for two runs off starter Brooke Turner in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Allison Taylor, who was 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored, doubled to right center to score a pair of runs and tie the game 4-4.
Junior Taylor Petty came in after Taylor's double to get an out to end the Gauchos threat. Petty pitched two more innings, allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings while striking out three before giving way to Jones-Wesley to start the ninth inning.
Taylor added an RBI double to deep center field in the 11th to give the Gauchos a 5-4 lead, but De Gaetano answered to push the game into the 12th.
