Long Beach State University
13-12
Boston University
14-8
Softball Dominates Boston In One Of Nation’s Final Games Prior To COVID-19 Suspension
3/12/2020 3:26:00 PM | Softball
Long Beach State beat the rain and the Terriers Thursday morning.
Moved to 9 a.m. to beat rains in the area, the game was halted for 30 minutes due to a rain delay, but by virtue of the Beach grabbing the win by the run rule and hard work from the Cal State Fullerton facilities staff, the game was completed as scheduled. The win for Long Beach State (13-12) avenged an eight-inning loss earlier in the week to Boston (14-9).
No I in team. ?? ???? pic.twitter.com/Q4QeAPy29q
— LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) March 12, 2020
White allowed a walk and a hit in the first inning, but got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, and would surrender just one more run over the rest of the five innings, matching her season high in strikeouts with nine in her second complete game shutout of the season. In the process, she improved her record to 8-5 and lowered her ERA to 1.96 for the season.
Long Beach State went down in order in the first, but a double from Alyssa Gonzalez got the Beach started in the second. Boston senior Kali Magane would pick up the next two outs, but a walk to Emily Salazar put two on in front of Justine Briones, who hit her second double of the season to get the Beach on the board.
Freshman Kylie Cox followed with her first hit of the season to score Briones from second and make the score 3-0 in the second. Command issues would bother Magane in the third, as after Sara Olson doubles, three walks would bring in another run to make the score 4-0.
Entering as a pinch hitter, Abby Lockman hit a one-out solo home run to increase her season lead to four. Plate discipline paid off for the Beach again, as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases in front of Maddy Ruffiin, who walked to bring in a sixth run, and then a wild pitch scored Wise to make the score 7-0.
Abby Lockman in for the Beach was we get restarted and a big hit for the senior!! Home run to left makes it 5-0! #GoBeach
Follow the game on @FloSoftball here: https://t.co/2LDATVTylP pic.twitter.com/byVL3N3JNI
— LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) March 12, 2020
White closed out the top of the fifth with two more strikeouts, and the Beach would manufacture one more run to finish the game. Kyra Snyder singled to start the inning, and the top of the order would come up with two outs. Olson reached on an error, and after a single to Rylie Seip loaded the bases, Wise ended the game with a single into the gap which would have scored multiple runs, but only one would be necessary to trigger the run rule.
Breezy Wise with the walkoff!! Long Beach State defeats Boston 8-0 in five innings to close the morning, tournament and potentially the season. #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/FY1zBOApDB
— LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) March 12, 2020
During the final inning, it was announced that the Big West would be suspending spring sports as a precautionary measure, joining the majority of leagues around the nation in that decision, cancelling the second game of the day in Fullerton in addition to the rest of the season for an undetermined period.
Long Beach State's walkoff was likely the last collegiate competition in the nation, outlasting the Creighton/St. John's Big East Tournament men's basketball game which was canceled at halftime.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: White, Kellie (7-5)
L: Magane, Kali (0-1)
Batting:
SH: Horita, Jen 1
Batting:
2B: Olson, Sara 1 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; Briones, Justine 1
HR: Lockman, Abby 1
RBI: Wise, Breezy 1 ; Ruffin, Maddy 1 ; Rowland, Taylor 1 ; Briones, Justine 2 ; Cox, Kylie 1 ; Lockman, Abby 1
SH: Wise, Breezy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Olson, Sara 2 ; Wise, Breezy 1 ; Gonzalez, Alyssa 1 ; Salazar, Emily 1 ; Snyder, Kyra 1 ; Briones, Justine 1 ; Lockman, Abby 1
CS: Cox, Kylie 1
HBP: Gonzalez, Alyssa 1
