Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
Maine
49ers lose a pair to Maine
2/29/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 29, 2012
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach State opened its home softball season with a pair of losses to Maine on Wednesday falling 6-4 and 3-2 in eight innings.
Cya Neal went 5-for-8 with two runs scored and a RBI in the doubleheader, while Karli Sandoval had three hits
Long Beach State returns to action this weekend when it plays five games at the San Diego Classic. The 49ers will play two games on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Game 1: Maine 6, Long Beach State 4
The Black Bears rallied from a 4-0 deficit with five runs in the sixth inning and a run in the seventh inning to hand the 49ers the loss.
Ashlynn Booker gave LBSU the lead in the bottom of the first with a RBI double to right center scoring Shayna Kimbrough.
The 49er added a run in the bottom of the third. Neal and Kimbrough had back-to-back one-out singles to start the inning. After a pop out, Booker grounded an infield single to third baseman Margaret Hilton, who dove to make the play. Hilton's throw wasn't in time to get Booker at first, and Neal took advantage scoring from second after never slowing down around third.
The 49ers made it 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth with the help of some bad Black Bears defense. Neal singled with one out to start the inning. She came around to score on a throwing error by Kylie Sparks on a sacrifice bunt by Kimbrough who advanced to third on the error. Kimbrough scored on a squeeze bunt by Hannah De Gaetano.
Maine rallied to take the lead with five runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Black Bears started the inning with a walk and a bunt single. Two more walks cut the lead to 4-1, before a 49er error made it 4-2. A fielder's choice made it 4-3, and then Maine tied it on another 49er error. A pair of hits brought home the final run. Maine added a run in the seventh.
Game 2: Maine 3, Long Beach State 2 (8)
Sandoval went 3-for-3 at the plate, while Neal had a pair of hits but it wasn't enough as LBSU dropped a 3-2 decision to the Black Bears in extra innings.
Maine jumped out to a 2-0 lead with one run in both the first and second innings, but the 49ers rallied to tie the game.
Neal singled to score Sandoval in the third inning to cut the lead to 2-1, and then Sandoval had an RBI double in the sixth to tie the game. Maine (4-4) scored the winning run in the eighth inning on a single by Jennifer Eberhardt.
