Softball Hits The Road To Play UC Santa Barbara In Top Of the Standings Clash

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Softball Hits The Road To Play UC Santa Barbara In Top Of the Standings Clash

4/11/2023 9:34:00 AM | Softball

Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara are both 9-3 in Big West play.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- It's a first-place showdown as the two teams tied at the top of the standings will face off against each other when Long Beach State hits the road to face UC Santa Barbara. The teams will play twice in a doubleheader Saturday before finishing the series on Sunday at 1 p.m., live on ESPN+.

LEADING OFF
• Long Beach State picked up their third series win of conference play, leaning on strong pitching to down UC San Diego in two of three. Samantha Fowler pitched a complete game shutout, while Sophia Fernandez closed out the series with a complete game victory as well as the Beach posted a 1.33 ERA on the weekend, lowing their staff ERA to 1.56 in Big West action, best in the conference.

• Two specatcular catches from Sara Olson in left field help the Beach take an epic 6-4 win in 10 innings in the opening game of a three-game sweep at UC Davis. A Jacquelyn Bickar grand slam was the catalyst in a 10-2 win in game two, and Shannon Haddad's gem in the third helped the Beach close out the Aggies 2-0 in the finale.

• Pitching has been the calling card of the Beach this season, particularly through league play so far. Long Beach State leads the Big West with an 1.56 ERA and have walked a league-low 22 batters through 12 games.

• Long Beach State has made the most of their speed this season, showing in two different ways. The Beach has stolen 41 bases on the year, closing in on the school record of 53, set in 2007. Lilyanna Martinez leads the way with 10, while Sara Olson and Jacquelyn Bickar each have nine leading a number of dangerous runners on the basepaths. Long Beach State also ranks in the nation's Top 10 with 15 triples, averaging 0.42 triples per game, with six players on the team hitting two or more this season.

• The Beach will take center stage in broadcasts, as the remainder of the season's home contests will be carried live on ESPN+, with one exception as the Friday night season opener against Cal State Fullerton will be broadcast live nationally on ESPNU.

• A two-time Big West Pitcher of the Week, Shannon Haddad closed the UC Davis series with a complete game shutout, striking out six with no walks and not allowing an extra-base hit in the win. Haddad has now thrown three shutouts in six starts in conference play, striking out 33 with five walks.

• Long Beach State's had an eight-game winning streak began during the end of the team's home tournament, the Louisville Slugger Invitational. Long Beach State grabbed their first ranked win of the year as Eryka Gonzales pitched a complete game and Sara Olson had three hits in a 2-1 win over No. 16 Baylor. LBSU also had two close one-run losses, one in extra innings, while convincingly beating Purdue 8-1 and winning an added game Monday against South Dakota, 4-1.

• Both Gonzales and Olson were recognized by the Big West for their efforts in that tournament with Gonzales named the Big West Pitcher of the Week while Olson was selected as the Big West Player of the Week. Gonzales earned the honor on the strength of her performance against Baylor, while Olson had a massive week, hitting a solo home run in a pinch hit appearance against CBU and ultimately batting .727 on the week, going 8-for-11 with two walks and a pair of stolen bases.

• The program debuted the new lights at the LBSU Softball Complex starting on Wednesday, February 15, hosting five games as part of the Wilson Invitational. The Beach picked up a pair of one-run victories at home, taking down San Diego and ULM as Long Beach State welcomed in near-capacity crowds throughout the week.

PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Shannon Haddad has given the Beach a lift in the circle with her return. Coming back after nearly a year and a half, Haddad has won seven games with a team-best 2.33 ERA while facing most of the team's top opponents. Haddad leads the team in both strikeouts and innings pitched on the year. Haddad was the 2021 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, and has gone 7-6 with 72 strikeouts and four shutouts in her return.

• Also impressing is sophomore Eryka Gonzales, who led CSUN with 70.2 innings pitched two seasons ago before also taking last season off. Gonzales is second on the team in ERA at 2.75 and innings pitched over 13 appearances with six starts on the year, posting a 4-3 overall record.

• Returning pitchers Samantha Fowler and Sophia Fernandez have also played a big role on the year. The team's ace a season ago, Fowler struck out nine batters in a win over NC State, and has pitched 36.2 innings on the year with 37 strikeouts, including an eight-strikeout complete game shutout against UC San Diego. Fernandez is third on the team with 40.0 innings pitched and has a 4-4 overall record on the year.

• Junior Sara Olson is leading the team with a .340 batting average on the year, walking 12 times and slugging a team-best .490 with four doubles, four triples and a home run. Olson has also stolen nine bases, and ranks sixth in LBSU history in career stolen bases while playing tremendous defense in left field.

• Sophomore Carly Robbins has established herself as a team leader at Long Beach State after transferring to the program from South Carolina. Starting at third base all but one game this season, Robbins is second on the team with a .327 batting average and second on the team in on-base percentage at .398 on the year.

• Sophomore Corissa Sweet is another established regular Long Beach State, holding down a spot as the team's designated player. Batting .273 on the year, Sweet is one of four players with an on-base percentage of .380 or higher and is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases on the year.

• Fifth-year senior Cam Cecil has returned to the program and gives the program another experienced bat in the lineup while playing multiple positions defensively. Cecil had the clutch hit to give the Beach the series sweep of the Highlanders, and has proven to be a tough out, leading the team with 13 walks and fourth on the team with a .380 on-base percentage.

• Jacquelyn Bickar has returned as an everyday starter for the Beach. Now with a team-high three home runs, Bickar has hit two grand slams and leads the team with 15 RBI on the year, batting .269 with 10 walks and nine stolen bases.

• Graduate transfer Teah Thies has secured a role as Long Beach State's starting catcher, slugging .369 with two home runs, two triples and a pair of doubles. No stranger to the Big West, Thies starredfor UC Santa Barbara before joining the Beach for this season.

• Lilyanna Martinez has started 27 games in the outfield, and is among the team leaders on on-base percentage at .353 on the year while also stealing a team-high 10 bases. She's been joined in the outfield by Makayla Medeillin, a true freshman who has started 21 games and is slugging .355 on the year with a pair of home runs.

• In the infield, freshman Selena Perez has earned the nod as the team's everyday shortstop with her strong defensive play, while Emily Salazar has been a true utility player for the Beach, as the veteran has started 23 games in four different positions this season, and has now played in six different positions over her four years as Long Beach State. Finlally, Rebekah Durazo has played an increased role of late, and is hitting .250 in conference play while starting five Big West games.