Seventh Inning Rally Comes Up Short Against North Dakota

Friday, February 8

Las Vegas, Nev.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

1-1

North Dakota

1-0

Long Beach State

North Dakota

2/8/2019 9:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score - North Dakota

Long Beach State outhits North Dakota but falls 2-1.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Two first-inning runs would be enough for North Dakota to hold off Long Beach State despite a seventh inning charge as LBSU Softball finished opening day with a split after falling to the Fighting Hawks.

                In the bottom of the first, North Dakota (1-0) led off the inning with a single from Lexi Mayhood, and after a sacrifice, another single put runners on the corners with one out. A hit batter loaded the bases, and a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk brought home a pair of runs.

                Junior starter Kellie White, in her first start for the Beach, would settle down at that point, striking out two straight to get out of the inning. From that point, White would only allow three more hits while going the distance, but Long Beach State (1-1) couldn't get over the top, leaving 10 on base over the night.

                As the game went on, Long Beach State continued to threaten with bigger and bigger threats. In the fourth, Jamie Wren hit a leadoff double but was stranded there, and in the fifth, the Beach had a run cut down at the plate as Naomi Hernandez tried to score from first on a double by Taylor Rowland.

                Singles from Alyssa Gonzalez and Sydney McCollum put runners on the corners with one out in the sixth inning, but the Beach couldn't get a run across in that inning as well.

                The Beach finally broke through in the seventh inning. Breezy Wise drew a leadoff walk, and after a fielder's choice, Tierra Falo also walked to put two runners on for Rowland, who delivered and RBI single to lead runners on the corners. Jannay Jones of North Dakota was able to pick up the final two outs as well as the save as the Beach came up just short in the 2-1 defeat.

                White finished with nine strikeouts in her first start, but took the loss despite allowing just the two first-inning runs. Rowland went 2-for-4, finishing the day 3-for-6 with two RBI and two walks.

                Long Beach State has two more games on tap Saturday, facing Seton Hall at 10:30 a.m. before taking on the tournament hosts UNLV at 3:30 p.m. Check back in at www.longbeachstate.com for more event information.