Saturday, April 6
Riverside, Calif.
1 p.m.
Long Beach State University
15-18, 2-2
14
at
6
UC Riverside
19-14, 2-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Long Beach State
3
3
0
0
0
0
8
14
13
2
UC Riverside
2
0
0
2
0
0
2
6
8
4
Photo by: John Fajardo
Beach Splits High-Scoring Affairs At UC Riverside
4/6/2019 6:42:00 PM | Softball
Long Beach State had four different players hit home runs during the doubleheader.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Long Beach State rolled out to a 14-6 win in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader behind home runs from Jamie Wren, Nichole Fry and Lauren Lombardi but was unable to hold off UC Riverside after battling back to tie game two in an 11-3 loss in the back end of the double-header.
Long Beach State (15-19, 2-3 Big West) got off to a fast start in game one. After Nichole Fry reached on an error, the Beach loaded the bases with a pair of singles, and a sac fly from Alyssa Gonzalez scored a pair of runs. Tierra Falo then singled through the left side, scoring Naomi Hernandez and then Jamie Wren scored on an outfield error to make the score 3-0 after the top of the first.
UC Riverside (20-14, 3-2 Big West) answered back as Kellie White took a moment to get settled in. A leadoff walk and a single put two runners on, and the Highlanders brought home a pair on a double from Brittney Garcia and a single from Melanie Olmos. White was able to work through the jam with no further damage and the Beach led after one.
That lead would extend with a two-out rally in the second inning. Fry and Hernandez both singled with two out as the top of the order came to the plate, and Wren brought in three runs with her sixth home run, a moon shot to dead center field.
White would continue to battle, limiting the damage after two runs scored on an error in the fourth, and got help from a tremendous defensive play in the fifth. After UCR put two runners on with no outs, Sydney McCollum made an incredible diving catch and fired to start a triple play, 5-4-3 to end the inning.
Ashley Coleman came on in relief to get the Beach out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth, and then the Beach came out swinging in the seventh. With the top of the order coming up, Long Beach State would bat around while scoring a season-high eight runs in the inning. Fry led things off with a walk, and other big hits coming on a two-run double from Alyssa Gonzalez and a three-run homer from Lauren Lombardi, her first of the season and 18th of the senior's career.
Coleman closed out the game to complete the unconventional save, her second of the season. Fry tied a school record with four runs scored in the game, while Wren, Gonzalez and Lombardi all had three RBI for the Beach.
In game two, both teams cruised through the first before the Beach threatened in the second. Falo led off the second with a single, and McCollum was next before Katelyn Hanson was hit to load the bases. Fry's fly ball died at the warning track however, and UCR responded in the bottom half. A double and a walk put two on in front of Nadia Witt, who grounded to second but the runner was able to elude the tag, loading the bases in front of Emma Ramelot who doubled home all three to give the Highlanders a 3-0 lead.
The Beach answered back with a pair in the third, as Gonzalez crushed a massive home run to left field, the fourth homer of the day from LBSU with a runner on to pull the Beach back within one. In the fourth, Long Beach State capitalized on a pair of UCR errors to push McCollum around to tie the game.
Witt singled for UC Riverside to start the bottom of the fifth, and an Danielle Ortega single put two on. Brittney Garcia then reached on an error, and a sacrifice fly, error and double brought in three runs for the Highlanders who took the lead once more.
UCR would tack on five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close out the run-rule victory.
The rubber game for the series will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. as the teams return to Amy S. Harrison Field in Riverside.
Long Beach State (15-19, 2-3 Big West) got off to a fast start in game one. After Nichole Fry reached on an error, the Beach loaded the bases with a pair of singles, and a sac fly from Alyssa Gonzalez scored a pair of runs. Tierra Falo then singled through the left side, scoring Naomi Hernandez and then Jamie Wren scored on an outfield error to make the score 3-0 after the top of the first.
UC Riverside (20-14, 3-2 Big West) answered back as Kellie White took a moment to get settled in. A leadoff walk and a single put two runners on, and the Highlanders brought home a pair on a double from Brittney Garcia and a single from Melanie Olmos. White was able to work through the jam with no further damage and the Beach led after one.
That lead would extend with a two-out rally in the second inning. Fry and Hernandez both singled with two out as the top of the order came to the plate, and Wren brought in three runs with her sixth home run, a moon shot to dead center field.
White would continue to battle, limiting the damage after two runs scored on an error in the fourth, and got help from a tremendous defensive play in the fifth. After UCR put two runners on with no outs, Sydney McCollum made an incredible diving catch and fired to start a triple play, 5-4-3 to end the inning.
Ashley Coleman came on in relief to get the Beach out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth, and then the Beach came out swinging in the seventh. With the top of the order coming up, Long Beach State would bat around while scoring a season-high eight runs in the inning. Fry led things off with a walk, and other big hits coming on a two-run double from Alyssa Gonzalez and a three-run homer from Lauren Lombardi, her first of the season and 18th of the senior's career.
Coleman closed out the game to complete the unconventional save, her second of the season. Fry tied a school record with four runs scored in the game, while Wren, Gonzalez and Lombardi all had three RBI for the Beach.
In game two, both teams cruised through the first before the Beach threatened in the second. Falo led off the second with a single, and McCollum was next before Katelyn Hanson was hit to load the bases. Fry's fly ball died at the warning track however, and UCR responded in the bottom half. A double and a walk put two on in front of Nadia Witt, who grounded to second but the runner was able to elude the tag, loading the bases in front of Emma Ramelot who doubled home all three to give the Highlanders a 3-0 lead.
The Beach answered back with a pair in the third, as Gonzalez crushed a massive home run to left field, the fourth homer of the day from LBSU with a runner on to pull the Beach back within one. In the fourth, Long Beach State capitalized on a pair of UCR errors to push McCollum around to tie the game.
Witt singled for UC Riverside to start the bottom of the fifth, and an Danielle Ortega single put two on. Brittney Garcia then reached on an error, and a sacrifice fly, error and double brought in three runs for the Highlanders who took the lead once more.
UCR would tack on five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close out the run-rule victory.
The rubber game for the series will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. as the teams return to Amy S. Harrison Field in Riverside.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: White, Kellie (6-8)
L: Jacy Boles (10-4)
S: Coleman, Ashley (2)
Batting:
2B: Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; McCollum, Sydney 1 ; Briones, Justine 1
HR: Fry, Nichole 1 ; Wren, Jamie 1 ; Lombardi, Lauren 1
RBI: Fry, Nichole 1 ; Wren, Jamie 3 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 3 ; Falo, Tierra 1 ; Lombardi, Lauren 3 ; Briones, Justine 1 ; Hanson, Katelyn 1
SF: Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; Hanson, Katelyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fry, Nichole 4 ; Hernandez, Naomi 2 ; Wren, Jamie 3 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; Ruffin, Maddy 1 ; Lombardi, Lauren 1 ; McCollum, Sydney 1 ; Briones, Justine 1
Batting:
2B: Brittney Garcia 1 ; Amanda Lynch 1
RBI: Emma Ramelot 2 ; Brittney Garcia 1 ; Melanie Olmos 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Emma Ramelot 1 ; Danielle Ortega 1 ; Kayla Curtan 1 ; Sami Demyon 2 ; Nadia Witt 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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