Long Beach State University
LIU
Softball Blasts Way Past LIU Brooklyn 10-0
2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Palm Springs, Calif. - LIU Brooklyn had one hit, but otherwise, it was all Beach on Saturday as Christina Clermont and Cielo Meza combined on a shutout and the Long Beach State offense exploded for 10 runs in a 10-0 win over the Blackbirds.
Christina Clermont worked around a leadoff walk in the top half of the first, and then the 49er offense delivered the offense needed for their dynamic pitching duo. A trio of first-inning walks loaded the bases, and then a sacrifice fly from Julia Lombardi put the Beach on the board 1-0.
Long Beach State (8-4) pushed across an unearned run, and then once again got out of trouble in the third inning. After a leadoff walk, the only hit of the day for LIU Brooklyn (4-10) came from Victoria Zamora, putting two on with no outs. The Beach got a crucial out as Darian Tautalafua was able to find Nichole Fry at third base to retire the lead runner on a groundout, and then after a hit batter loaded the bases, Clermont got a flyout and a strikeout to and the inning and the threat.
Seizing the momentum, Long Beach State broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning. After a leadoff single from Kelli Finan, Lauren MacLeod hit her first collegiate home run to double the lead, and trouble continued to mount for the Blackbirds. After a walk, Alley Perkins reached on a fielders choice, leading to Torres singling home pinch runner Rachel Loera. A sacrifice fly from Haley Tobler made the score 6-0, and then a single from Darian Tautalafua tacked on one more run.
Tautalafua would then end the game in the sixth inning. Singles from Fry and Tobler put two on in front of the 49er cleanup hitter, who lived up to the billing with a walk off home run to right field, her fourth of the season.
Cielo Meza struck out three batters in two innings of relief to combine with Clermont for the first shutout of the season for Long Beach State. The Beach also improved to 4-0 in games decided by the run-rule this season.
Long Beach State will face its toughest tests of the weekend tomorrow, as the Beach starts off by facing No. 25 California at 2 p.m. before taking on No. 2 Michigan at 4:30 p.m. in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
