After failing to convert on enough chances in a 5-3 loss to Loyola Marymount, the softball team responded with a 9-2 victory over Friday afternoon in the Courtyard by Marriott L.A. Westside Classic at Smith Field.
After a scoreless first inning, took advantage of control problems for starter Jessica Martin, as Cassie Cueto () walked with the bases loaded to drive in Lauren Berin (Lacey, Wash.) and Peggy Mathison (Seattle, Wash.) was hit by a pitch, forcing in Sandra Hernandez (Redlands, Calif.). After a pitching change, Katie Petersen (, ) drew a walk to force in Jessica Amador (), followed by Jamie Foote (Lynnwood, Wash.) clearing the bases with a double to give SeattleU a 6-0 lead.
(4-6) scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning, but those would be the only runs allowed by Hannah Klein (), who scattered ten hits and walked only one batter in picking up her fourth victory of the season. Meanwhile, SeattleU took advantage of Wolverine errors to score single unearned runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings. Offensively, Hernandez and Mathison each picked up two hits, while Berin picked up three walks and Cueto was walked twice.
In SeattleU’s first game, the host Lions took the early lead when Megan Ackerman drove in Sam Fischer on a single. responded in the bottom of the first inning as Katie Antich () singled and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Berin, but the Redhawks left the bases filled after back-to-back strikeouts.
Loyola Marymount (10-12) took the lead for good when a popup by Darcy Pagnini got caught up in the wind and eluded Hernandez, scoring J.J. Hartung and MiaSarah Cesena. A two-run single by Kelly Sarginson in the fifth inning plated Fischer and Pagnini to increase the Lions’ lead to 5-1.
chipped away, as Foote drove in Mathison in the sixth inning and Mathison drove in Amador in the seventh inning. However, the Redhawks stranded two runners in each of those innings, bringing the total of runners left on base to 13 in the game.
Antich continued to reach base at the top of the lineup, going 3-for-4 in the game. Kelsey Reynolds () took the loss after giving up eight hits and five runs, three of them earned, while walking two and striking out two batters. Melissa Dykema earned the win for Loyola Marymount despite giving up eight hits and six walks along with hitting two batters.
(4-7) will continue play Saturday afternoon with a rematch against beginning at 12 noon. The team is in the middle of a stretch of seven games in four days, including a doubleheader to open the home season Monday, March 9, against starting at 1 p.m. at Logan Field.