Softball Cruises To Two Wins To Close The San Diego Classic

Saturday, February 29

San Diego, Calif.

2 p.m.

Long Beach State University

10-9

Brown

1-8

Brown

Long Beach State

Photo by: Scott Quintard

2/29/2020 7:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Long Beach State dropped Brown 6-2 before rolling to a 9-0 win over North Dakota.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Long Beach State Softball recovered well with two convincing wins Saturday, beating Brown 6-2 and North Dakota 9-0 to close out their time in San Diego.

                Long Beach State (11-9) opened the day with a convincing win over Brown (1-8). Ashley Coleman improved to 3-1 on the year with a complete game performance, and was in command early, setting down the Bears in order in the first three innings.

                Sara Olson singled to start the game and help spot the senior a lead in the first inning. Rylie Seip then beat out a bunt to put two runners on, and an error following another bunt brought home Olson for an early lead, and left Seip on third where she scored easily on a sacrifice fly to right by Alyssa Gonzalez.

                Brown cut the lead in half with their first hit, a home run by Katie O'Leary, but the Beach would extend the lead with a big fifth inning. Olson led off the frame by reaching on an error, and a single by Sydney McCollum put two on. A two-out walk by Abby Lockman loaded the bases in front of Breezy Wise, whose double into the gap was misplayed in center field, allowing the senior to come all the way around and clear the bases, giving the Beach a 6-1 lead.

                In the top of the seventh, Brown was able to push Karina Chavarria around to score after a leadoff single, but a strong relay from Olson to McCollum to Briones cut down a run at the plate for the second out, and Coleman was able to close out the rest of the inning for her third win.

                In game two, Kellie White was in good form, striking out eight in five scoreless innings before turning the ball over to Devyn Magnett, who finished off the win with two innings without giving up a hit.

                Those strong performances in the circle were complemented by a big day at the plate offensively. Olson got things going right away in the top of the first, starting off the game with a triple and Seip followed with a home run, her third of the season to immediate put the Beach in the lead. Back-to-back walks to Gonzalez and Lockman led two on in front of Wise, who delivered again with a double to left field to put the Beach on top 4-0.

                Olson and Seip would score in the second inning as well to put the Beach on top 6-0. While LBSU wasn't able to end the game early, the Beach tacked on three more runs in the seventh as Lockman doubled to start the inning, while three straight hits from Emily Salazar, Maddy Ruffin and Olson left the Beach in front 9-0.

                Long Beach State will finally return home to the LBSU Softball Complex for the team's home debut this weekend. The Beach will play four games at home, hosting the Louisville Slugger Invitational with home games against UCF, San Diego State, Boston as well as starting the tournament Friday, March 6 against Minnesota.