NORTHERN COLORADO BOX | NEVADA BOX
STOCKTON, Calif. – (Feb. 23) Seattle University softball won twice Friday at the Libby Matson Tournament. The Redhawks beat Northern Colorado, 7-4, and then took down Nevada, 6-2, to open their weekend at the University of the Pacific.
“We stayed the course all day,” said Coach Geoff Hirai. “We bounced back from failure and made good in-game adjustments.”
In the win over Northern Colorado, Ally Choate got the Redhawks going in the top of the first inning. The freshman singled and stole second and then Madison Cathcart walked with two outs. Savannah Loomis hit a single through the middle, driving in Choate for a 1-0 lead.
UNC scored three runs in the bottom of the second, but Seattle U (8-4) replied with two runs to tie it in the third. Breanna Timmons led off with a base hit. Alyson Matriotti pinch-ran and stole second. A Nicole Bolasky sacrifice bunt moved Matriotti to third and then Kaylee Ree walked. Cathcart drew another walk, loading the bases with one out. A Savannah Loomis groundball resulted in a two-run error, as Matriotti and Ree came in even the score at 3.
In the bottom of the fourth, Andie Larkins worked around a single as a 6-4-3 double play closed the frame. Ree doubled to start the fifth and then Cathcart hammered a home run to right centerfield, putting the Redhawks up, 5-3. Cathcart is now tied for the national lead with seven home runs this season.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, SU struck again. Choate hit a triple and Ree brought her in with an infield single. For a third time, Cathcart walked. Loomis hit a single through the left side, plating Ree for a 7-3 advantage.
Carley Nance came on in relief for the bottom of the sixth and quickly retired the side, earning two strikeouts to move the contest to the seventh.
SU put two runners on in its half of the seventh, but could not add any runs. Northern Colorado loaded the bases and scored once in the bottom of the seventh, but Nance induced a comebacker to end the game.
Choate, Ree, Loomis, and Cherise Silvan each had two hits. Cathcart homered and walked three times. Larkins got the win after going five innings, allowing just one earned run.
Ree hit a home run to give SU a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Nevada. The Wolf Pack tied the contest in the second frame, but the Redhawks quickly rallied. In the top of the third, Bolasky singled and stole second base. Choate reached on a bunt single and then Ree walked to load the bases. Cathcart drove in a run with a walk for a 2-1 advantage.
Seattle U broke the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs with two outs to gain control of the contest. Ree walked and Cathcart doubled her in. Loomis then doubled to left to drive in another run. A Maddy Kristjanson single ended up producing a run, as a Nevada error allowed another run to come around. Silvan capped the burst with a single up the middle, making it 7-1 in SU’s favor.
The Wolf Pack scored a run in the sixth, but Shianne Smith relieved Nance and closed out the game.
Kristjanson collected three hits, while Choate and Loomis each had a pair of knocks. Nance took the win with five innings of work. She struck out a career-high seven hitters.
The Redhawks continue their weekend in California with games against Nevada and Pacific tomorrow.