Playing on its home field for the first time in the 2015 season, Seattle University used solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep a doubleheader from Notre Dame de Namur University, 8-0 and 6-1, Wednesday afternoon at Logan Field at Seattle University Park.
“It was great to play back at home and get a couple of wins,” Seattle U head coach Dan Powers said. “We still have some work to do before WAC play begins, but we are getting closer every week.”
The first game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when Molly Campbell (San Diego, Calif.) led off with a walk, Hayley Beckstrom (Maple Valley, Wash.) reached base on an Argonaut error, and Isabella Geronimo (San Mateo, Calif.) laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Paige Bouska (Keizer, Ore.) drove in Campbell and Beckstrom with a single to left-center field, and Bubba Morrow (Auburn, Wash.) followed with a single that score Geronimo. Savannah Loomis (Roseville, Calif.) hit her second home run of the season, a three-run blast that extended the Redhawk lead to 6-0.
Seattle U starter Mandie Sugita (Rossmoor, Calif.) allowed just two hits in five innings, but she was forced to pitch out of jams in several of the innings because of four Redhawk errors. Sugita was helped by the combination of Kayla Shuster-Gonzales (Escondido, Calif.), Breanna Timmons (Santa Maria, Calif.), and Morrow, who combined to tag Lindsay Handy out at the plate in the second inning on a Monica Volz double.
Shuster-Gonzales led off the fifth inning by reaching on an Argonaut error, followed by singles by Timmons and Campbell that loaded the bases with one out. Beckstrom brought Shuster-Gonzales home with a sacrifice fly to center field before Geronimo singled to reload the bases for Bouska, whose single brought home pinch runner Maddy Kristjanson (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) with the run that invoked the eight-run rule, ending the game.
In game two, solo home runs by Geronimo in the first inning and Rose Saenz (San Gabriel, Calif.) in the second inning gave Seattle U a 2-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Campbell led off with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Saenz, and reached third base on a grounder by Kristjanson. After Kristjanson stole second base, Erika Rodgers (Glendora, Calif.) brought home both runners with a single to right-center field to give the Redhawks a 4-0 advantage.
Notre Dame de Namur (10-13) broke through in the fifth inning when Taylor Haynes scored on a single up the middle by Cheyenne Koki. The Redhawks responded in the sixth inning, loading the bases before Lisa Maulden (Maple Valley, Wash.) drove in Rodgers and Geronimo with a single up the middle.
Lindsay Davis (Palo Cedro, Calif.) started the game, but was forced to leave in the first inning after Toni Cardoza hit a comebacker off Davis’s lower leg. Sugita came on and picked up her second victory of the day after allowing just one hit and two walks in 3 2/3 innings of work. Alyssa Reuble (Lynnwood, Wash.) entered the game in the fifth inning and went the rest of the way to earn her first save of the season, notching back-to-back strikeouts to leave Argonaut runners stranded at the corners in the sixth inning.
Geronimo led the Redhawk offense throughout the day, going 5-for-7 in the doubleheader with three runs scored, while Bouska went 3-for-3 in the first game with three RBI and Rodgers went 2-for-3 in the second game with a walk and two RBI. After being held to two hits in the first game, Notre Dame de Namur collected seven hits in the nightcap, led by Cardoza’s 2-for-4 performance.
Seattle University (9-17) hosts Texas Tech next Wednesday, March 18, in a single game starting at 6 p.m. at Logan Field. The Redhawks then head back on the road for the Loyola Marymount Invitational March 21-23 before coming back for another Wednesday home game against Northwest University March 25.