Long Beach State University
Cal Poly
No. 17 Softball Wins Two In Exciting Fashion
4/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)
Long Beach, Calif. - It was a thrilling day Saturday at the LBSU Softball Complex, as No. 17 Long Beach State picked up a pair of one-run victories over Cal Poly. The Beach opened up with a comeback 3-2 walkoff win, and then Jessica Flores pitched her first career no-hitter in a 1-0 game two win.
In the opening game, both starting pitchers were in command early, with neither side scoring in the first four frames.
Cal Poly (22-21, 6-8 Big West) broke the deadlock in the fifth inning, as Cielo Meza hit Alejandra Garcia, and then Amanda Sandoval singled to put two on in front of Chelsea Convissar, who hit a two-run double to give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead.
Long Beach State (37-9, 11-2 Big West) pulled back a run in the bottom half of the inning after Grayce Majam led off the inning with a single. A Flores single and a fielder's choice pushed the senior to third, where she scored on a sacrifice fly from Nichole Fry to make the score 2-1.
LBSU wins game 1 against Cal Poly! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/aLHXKIc7P6
-- LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) April 28, 2018
That score would hold until the bottom of the seventh, when the duo combined again for the comeback win. LT Torres started the inning with a double, and Majam followed with a double of her own, tying the game at 2-2. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk put runners on the corners, Nichole Fry hit a ball to left field over the head of Noellah Ramos to bring home the winning run and give the Beach a 3-2 walkoff victory.
Game two was all about Jessica Flores, who was in command throughout. Flores allowed just three base-runners on two walks and an error over seven innings, and was never truly threatened on the way to a 9-1 record and her first career no-hitter.
Flores closes out the No-Hitter as @LBSUSoftball wins 1-0 over Cal Poly in game two to sweep the DH! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/pYW0UmRsvr
-- LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) April 28, 2018
That left the hitters needing only one run to make the difference, and it came from the pitcher herself. Flores was plunked with one out in the third, and after a single from Wren moved Flores to second, she came home to score on an RBI single from Fry, giving the Beach a 1-0 lead that would stand behind Flores' efforts in the circle.
On the day, Fry had three of Long Beach State's four RBI.
Long Beach State closes the series with Cal Poly Sunday with one final game starting at 1 p.m. Following the game, the Beach will honor their seven seniors as its their final home game of the season.
