LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Seattle University softball (10-19) picked up a 6-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (3-7) to open the weekend of competition before falling to the host team, Loyola Marymount (17-20), 5-2, in their second game on the day.
"In game one, our defense played well behind Mandie [Sugita] and we got timely hitting by Jenny [Hurst] and Molly [Campbell]," said head coach Dan Powers. "In game two, I was proud to see our team battle to the last at bat. Alyssa [Reuble] tossed a solid game and only made one mistake. Coming away with a split today and two errorless games was a step in the right direction with WAC play starting next week."
The Redhawks are set to face Bethune Cookman and UC Riverside on Sunday before closing the weekend with another contest vs. LMU.
SU will be back at home on Wednesday, Mar. 25 at 5 pm for a game versus Northwest University before opening Western Athletic Conference play at Grand Canyon next weekend.
Game 1: Seattle U 6, Fairleigh Dickinson 1
The Redhawks struck early, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first through the opening four and a half innings. Jenny Hurst (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) batted home Bubba Morrow (Auburn, Wash.) and Breanna Timmons (Santa Maria, Calif.) for the first two runs of the game on a two-out double to left center.
Holding three Fairleigh Dickinson runners on base over the next three innings, SU added a pair of homers in the fifth and six to take a 6-0 lead. Maddy Kristjanson (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) hit a solo shot in the fifth before Molly Campbell (San Diego, Calif.) struck a three-run bomb to left center with two outs in the sixth.
FDU avoided the shutout, tacking on a run in the top of the seventh on a two-out RBI double to center field by Cheryl Lopez, but the next batter popped the ball up to the Seattle U infield for the third and final out.
Campbell led the Redhawks at the plate with two of SU’s eight hits. Four from FDU contributed to their six hits.
In the circle, Mandie Sugita (Rossmoor, Calif.) gave up just six hits and one run while striking out two in the complete game victory. Megan Reiner was handed the loss for Fairleigh Dickinson, allowing six runs, all earned, on eight hits while striking out seven.
Game 2: LMU 5, Seattle U 2
LMU took a 5-0 lead through four innings thanks in part to a grand slam by Meghan von Behren in the bottom of the fourth as well as an RBI double to left center by Alex Finie in the third. SU left two runners in scoring position in the top of the third.
Isabella Geronimo (San Mateo, Calif.) avoided the shutout for the Redhawks with a two-RBI single to right center in the top of the fifth, but LMU was able to end the inning with the SU bases loaded. Seattle U left runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, but could not drive home further runs.
Lisa Maulden (Maple Valley, Wash.), Rose Saenz (San Gabriel), and Geronimo each tallied two hits to lead the Redhawks as each team recorded eight apiece.
In the circle, Alyssa Reuble (Lynnwood, Wash.) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits while walking and striking out two. Rachael Farrington picked up the win, giving up two runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out six.