Friday, February 21
Palm Springs, Calif.
3 p.m.
Long Beach State University
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Utah
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Long Beach State
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Utah
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Photo by: John Fajardo
Softball Splits Opening Day At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic After 7-1 Win Over Idaho State
2/21/2020 11:29:00 PM | Softball
Long Beach State fell 4-0 to Utah in the afternoon.
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Justine Briones had a pair of two-run hits to break open the second game of two Friday, as the Beach split their opening day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, falling 4-0 to Utah before rebounding with a 7-1 win over Idaho State.
Pitching dominated the opening game, with a critical call and a crucial miscue proving to be the difference between Utah (8-2) and Long Beach State (6-6).
Sydney McCollum's third inning single was the only hit in great starts for Kellie White for LBSU and Utah's Sydney Sandez.
After a strikeout to start the bottom of the fourth inning, Utah was able to string together a pair of ground ball hits in front of Elleesa Bonstrom. The Beach looked to pick up a key third out by cutting down the lead runner at third, but the play was called back due to an illegal pitch. A walk was then reversed due to a late timeout call, before finally another grounder looked to take out the lead runner a second time, but Emily Salazar dropped the throw from White and left the bases loaded.
A hit batter gave Utah the lead, and then Destiny Quiles was able to curl a liner just fair down the third base line to score two runs, and then a final run came home on a suicide squeeze to give the Utes a 4-0 lead.
That would hold, as White finished with five innings pitched before turning the ball over to Samantha Fowler, who struck out a pair in the sixth. Sandez went six, limiting the Beach to two hits, while a double play killed a late rally for the Beach in the seventh inning to close out the win with Halle Morris in the circle.
The Beach scored early and often against Idaho State (4-12) in the second game of the day, giving Ashley Coleman plenty of support in the circle and the senior did the rest, scattering five hits and allowing one run in a seven-inning complete game start.
Sara Olson kicked off the game by reaching on an error, and after getting pushed to second on a sacrifice, scored on a Sydney McCollum single to give the Beach a 1-0 lead.
Drawing back-to-back walks to start the second, LBSU got the first of two big hits from Briones, the first a two-run double smacked into the gap to easily score two runners in the second. One inning later, Maddy Ruffin and Breezy Wise combined again, this time with a single and a walk to get on in front of Briones. A single loaded the bases in front of the junior catcher who delivered again, this time a bloop single into second that was enough to bring home the two speedy outfielders.
A one-out double from Idaho State's Emma Bordenkecher led to the Bengals' only run of the evening, as Kelsey Breer singled home a lone run to make the score 5-1.
Coleman scattered two hits the rest of the way however, retiring the final seven in order and easily securing the win, while leadoff singles from Rylie Seip and Salazar led to two more runs in the sixth and seventh for the Beach.
Long Beach State is back for two more Saturday, facing No. 25 Northwestern at Noon before taking on Oregon State following at 2:30 p.m.
Pitching dominated the opening game, with a critical call and a crucial miscue proving to be the difference between Utah (8-2) and Long Beach State (6-6).
Sydney McCollum's third inning single was the only hit in great starts for Kellie White for LBSU and Utah's Sydney Sandez.
After a strikeout to start the bottom of the fourth inning, Utah was able to string together a pair of ground ball hits in front of Elleesa Bonstrom. The Beach looked to pick up a key third out by cutting down the lead runner at third, but the play was called back due to an illegal pitch. A walk was then reversed due to a late timeout call, before finally another grounder looked to take out the lead runner a second time, but Emily Salazar dropped the throw from White and left the bases loaded.
A hit batter gave Utah the lead, and then Destiny Quiles was able to curl a liner just fair down the third base line to score two runs, and then a final run came home on a suicide squeeze to give the Utes a 4-0 lead.
That would hold, as White finished with five innings pitched before turning the ball over to Samantha Fowler, who struck out a pair in the sixth. Sandez went six, limiting the Beach to two hits, while a double play killed a late rally for the Beach in the seventh inning to close out the win with Halle Morris in the circle.
The Beach scored early and often against Idaho State (4-12) in the second game of the day, giving Ashley Coleman plenty of support in the circle and the senior did the rest, scattering five hits and allowing one run in a seven-inning complete game start.
Complete game from Ashley Coleman and four RBI by catcher Justine Briones as the battery leads the way in a 7-1 win for @LBSUSoftball! Two more tomorrow on Saturday for the Beach here in Cathedral City. #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/vIs8vo5T7y
— LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) February 22, 2020
Sara Olson kicked off the game by reaching on an error, and after getting pushed to second on a sacrifice, scored on a Sydney McCollum single to give the Beach a 1-0 lead.
Drawing back-to-back walks to start the second, LBSU got the first of two big hits from Briones, the first a two-run double smacked into the gap to easily score two runners in the second. One inning later, Maddy Ruffin and Breezy Wise combined again, this time with a single and a walk to get on in front of Briones. A single loaded the bases in front of the junior catcher who delivered again, this time a bloop single into second that was enough to bring home the two speedy outfielders.
A one-out double from Idaho State's Emma Bordenkecher led to the Bengals' only run of the evening, as Kelsey Breer singled home a lone run to make the score 5-1.
Coleman scattered two hits the rest of the way however, retiring the final seven in order and easily securing the win, while leadoff singles from Rylie Seip and Salazar led to two more runs in the sixth and seventh for the Beach.
Long Beach State is back for two more Saturday, facing No. 25 Northwestern at Noon before taking on Oregon State following at 2:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sandez, Sydney (6-2)
L: White, Kellie (3-3)
Base Running:
CS: McCollum, Sydney 1
Batting:
2B: Quiles, Destiny 1
RBI: Castaenda, BreOnna 1 ; Quiles, Destiny 2 ; Faulk, Katie 1
SH: Palacios, Alyssa 1 ; Faulk, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jacobus, Madi 1 ; Barrera, Alyssa 1 ; Bonstrom, Ellessa 1 ; Castaenda, BreOnna 1
HBP: Castaenda, BreOnna 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
dh/c
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
lf/2b
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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