“Our team showed heart battling back in the seventh to tie it up (against LMU),” said head coach Dan Powers. “We had our chances to pull out the win, but fell a little short today. Karina (Smyth) had a great day at the plate and we had more players involved in the offense. It was a tough loss, but it will make our team stronger as we move into the second half of the season. ”
The Lions’ Sam Fischer opened up the game with a solo home run to left field, but the Redhawks rebounded in the bottom half of the first with four runs.
With an out and a runner on second, Allegra Wilde (Kennewick, Wash.) reached on an LMU error and advanced to second on the play. Jessica Ulrich (Lewiston, Idaho) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Katie Gould (Medford, Ore.) and advancing Wilde. With runners on the corners and a pair of outs, Natalie Leyland (Richland, Wash.) singled through the left side, scoring Wilde and advancing Hannah Klein (Camarillo, Calif.) to second. Klein would be sent home on Brianna Guerrero’s (Buena Park, Calif.) single to right field and the inning was capped off with a Karina Smyth (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) RBI single to center field.
LMU would even the score with a run in the second and a pair in the third, but once again SU was there to recapture the lead with another four run inning in the bottom half of the third.
Ulrich led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. Klein then doubled to left field, bringing home Ulrich. With runners on first and second, Guerrero put down a successful sacrifice bunt and Smyth brought home Klein with her single to right field.
After a Lion pitching change, Smyth would steal second. With a pair of outs, Sarah Petosa (Auburn, Wash.) hit a two RBI single to center field to give the Redhawks an 8-4 lead.
Smyth would go 3-for-4, with four RBIs, a run and a stolen base in the game.
Loyola Marymount was persistent and would tally six runs through the seventh inning. Down 10-8, the Redhawks rallied back to even the score in the bottom of the seventh. Ulrich led off with a single through the right side. With a pair of outs and runners on second and third, Smyth hit a two RBI single to right center field sending the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, due to tournament time constraints, Loyola Marymount’s Olivia Alvarez was placed on second and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Kylie Ahlo singled up the middle to bring home Alvarez and score the game-winning run.
The Redhawks closed out day one action with UNLV. After scoring 10 runs in their opening game, their offense was unable garner momentum against the Rebels. Behind a silenced offense, UNLV’s Amanda Oliveto threw her second consecutive no-hitter versus SU, as the Rebels defeated Seattle U 9-0 in five innings.
Seattle U will close out the tournament on Saturday, Apr. 2, with a pair of games. The Redhawks (3-21) will open the day with Brigham Young in a 9 a.m. game and close out the weekend with a rematch against UNLV at 1:30 p.m.