Long Beach State University
19-17, 9-3
UC San Diego
15-22, 5-7
Two Complete Games Lead Long Beach State To Series Win Over UC San Diego
4/8/2023 6:20:00 PM | Softball
Samantha Fowler, Sophia Fernandez each finished off a complete game as the Beach swept Saturday’s doubleheader.
Samantha Fowler was dominant in the opening game, striking out eight in a complete game shutout as the senior got the nod in the circle. Fowler faced one over the minimum over the first three innings, and the Beach broke through in the third.
Lilyanna Martinez worked a leadoff walk, and the Beach put runners on with back-to-back sacrifice bunts, the second drawing an overthrow from catcher Clarissa Reynoso allowing the speedy Martinez to come home as the Beach took a 1-0 lead without a hit.
Fowler faced her biggest jam in the fourth, as two hits and a walk loaded the bases with one out, but a shallow fly ball followed by a swinging strikeout kept the momentum in favor of Long Beach State (19-17, 9-3 Big West) who quickly capitalized.
Mid 4 | Strikeout number 6 for Samantha Fowler is MASSIVE! Gets the Beach out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth. UCSD 0, LBSU 1 #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/IxfPs7tQIp
— LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) April 8, 2023
Mikayla Medellin broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single, and Carly Robbins followed with another base hit. With the bases loaded, Martinez was plunked a team-high 9th time to score a run with the bases loaded for an insurance run. An RBI groundout plated one more, and then Sara Olson broke the game open with a two-run single to make the score 5-0 in favor of the Beach.
Fowler would retire the next six UC San Diego (15-22, 5-7 Big West) batters and finish off the shutout, her first of the season.
Sophia Fernandez got the nod for the Beach in the second game, and was also in command throughout, giving up just four hits on the day.
The Tritons struck first though, as a bunt single and a walk put two on in front of Bobbi Aguirre, who hit the only hard-hit ball of the day off Fernandez at an opportune time, a double to score both runs and give UC San Diego a 2-0 lead.
The Beach battled back though. Olson tripled with one out in the bottom of the third, coming home to score on an RBI single from Jacquelyn Bickar to cut the lead in half. Martinez then opened up the fourth with a leadoff walk and came home to score in classic small ball fashion, stealing second, advancing to third on a bunt and coming home to tie the game after a sacrifice fly from Cassie Camou.
B3 | Sara Olson with her fourth triple of the season! Beach have something cooking in the third. #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/cjwhAqfZtz
— LBSU Softball (@LBSUSoftball) April 8, 2023
Long Beach State finished off the comeback in the fifth, as Sara Olson singled to open the inning and raced home to score on a triple from Makayla Medellin to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Beach.
After taking the lead, Fernandez set down the final six batters from UCSD in quick fashion, not allowing a base-runner in the final two innings to close out the win in her first complete game of the season.
Long Beach State continues Big West play on the road next weekend, traveling to UC Santa Barbara for a three-game series beginning on Saturday, April 15.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fernandez, Sophia (4-4)
L: Cecil, Jada (6-6)
Batting:
2B: Aguirre, Bobbi 1
RBI: Aguirre, Bobbi 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Eng, Morgan 1 ; Bosinger, Keila 1
SB: Eng, Morgan 1
Batting:
3B: Olson, Sara 1 ; Medellin, Makayla 1
RBI: Bickar, Jacquelyn 1 ; Medellin, Makayla 1 ; Camou, Cassie 1
SH: Bickar, Jacquelyn 1 ; Sweet, Corissa 1 ; Thies, Teah 1
SF: Camou, Cassie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Olson, Sara 2 ; Martinez, Lilyanna 1
SB: Bickar, Jacquelyn 1 ; Martinez, Lilyanna 1
HBP: Perez, Selena 1
