CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Seattle University softball (8-4) faced the run-rule after trailing 9-1 to CSUN (2-9) in the bottom of the fifth before surging ahead to take the lead with a ten-run inning to continue play. The Redhawks inevitably added three more runs to defeat CSUN 14-9 after narrowly falling to former WAC foe California Baptist (12-3) 9-8 in a near comeback on day one of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at DesMoines Field on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Avari Morris led the Redhawks against the Lancers at the start of the day, recording three hits, including two doubles, in four at bats. She posted 3 RBI and scored two runs while securing two putouts from left field.
Senior Ava Sin also logged three hits against CBU, tallying a double and RBI in four plate appearances. Sophomore Abbie Fales scored two runs and recorded her first home run of the season. She collected four putouts from right field. Graduate Jay Ross logged two assists and four put outs from second base while posting a double and a run on the day.
Guiding the Redhawks from the circle was junior Berkley Vance. She pitched all 7.0 innings of the contest while facing 36 batters and striking out five.
CBU struck first at the start of the game with a 2 RBI home run before the Redhawks halved the deficit with an RBI single from Sin. Vance collected her first strikeout in the contest in the top of the first before handing out a 1-2-3 inning in the second while tossing a backwards K in the process. Morris leveled the game 2-all with an RBI double following back-to-back hits from senior Brookyln Jones and junior Sophia Kissling.
The Lancers jumped out by four after scoring three runs in the third and another in the fourth. Vance tallied two backwards Ks in the fifth and guided another scoreless inning in the top of the sixth from the circle. The Redhawks rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Fales and junior Mikee Morris got on base after a walk and double respectively.
Freshman Jaeden Sajec came in to run for Morris before her Avari Morris returned to bat facing two outs. Morris delivered a 2 RBI double to score Fales and Sajec to pull within two runs. Ross followed suit with an RBI double to score Morris to make it a one score game.
Facing two outs with one runner on, senior Taylor Fitch stepped up and hammered out her seventh home run of the season to jump the Lancers by a run heading into the final inning of play. CBU responded with a pair of homers to take back the lead 9-7 before Fales cut back with her first home run of the season. The Redhawks got the tying runner on but could not complete the comeback, falling to the Lancers 9-8.
Thirty minutes later the Redhawks took to DesMoines Field for the second time of the afternoon to take on CSUN.
Avari Morris led the team with three hits in four at bats, posting two RBI and scoring two runs. Ross, Sin and Jones rounded out the trio of Redhawks with multi-hit performances against CSUN while Jones scored two runs. Sin paced the team with seven putouts.
Vance led the team with 3 RBI recording a double in her lone at bat as a pinch hitter. Mikee Morris also returned to pinch hit and nabbed a 2 RBI home run. Both Fales and Kissling scored two runs a piece to match the Morris twins and Jones.
Avari Morris earned the start in the circle and pitched for 1.1 innings where she faced 12 batters and struck out one. Junior Ellie Bostedt pitched the subsequent 2.2 innings, also facing 12 and striking out one. Mesa captured the win pitching 1.0 innings and facing six batters. Freshman Kaia Galaviz closed out the contest throwing the final 2.0 innings while facing eight batters and striking out five.
The Redhawks opened the contest facing a similar predicament to game one, trailing by a run after the first inning after the Matadors struck with a home run. CSUN built up its lead by six after scoring five runs in the top of the fifth. Sin broke through to aid SU’s first run of the contest, scoring Morris off an RBI single through the left side. CSUN would score three more between the fourth and fifth innings, leading the Redhawks 9-1 in the middle of the fifth.
Facing the run-rule, the Redhawks fought back tenaciously in the bottom of the fifth, recording 10 runs on eight hits. Morris led off the inning with a single to right before sister Mikee Morris pinch hit her first home run of the season. Fitch was walked and Sin singled to put two runners in scoring position. Junior Karen Spadafora followed up with a single to load the bases. Fales was walked to score Fitch for the RBI to pull the Redhawks within five.
Still facing no outs, Jones singled through right to score Sin as freshman Aurora Zepeda stepped up to pinch hit. Zepeda sent out an RBI single to score Jones to pull the Redhawks within three. Vance came up to bat for Kissling as a pinch hitter and leveled the game 9-9 with a bases clearing double. Returning to the top of the order after tying the game with eight runs, CSUN captured its first out of the inning before walking Mikee Morris. With go ahead runners on board, Kissling scored on the wild pitch after re-entering for Vance to give Seattle U its first lead of the game. Fitch followed up with an RBI single to score Morris to take the 11-9 lead into the top of the sixth.
Galaviz entered in the top of the sixth and sent down three of four batters faced with strike outs to maintain SU’s lead into the bottom of the sixth. Fales, Jones and Kissling were walked to kick off the sixth inning for SU’s offense. Facing one out, Avari Morris tallied her third hit of the contest to score Fales and Jones. Ross drafted the sac fly to score Kissling to push the Redhawks lead to five. The Matadors sent up their final three batters and Galaviz struck out two, both swinging and looking to capture SU’s eighth win of the season.
Seattle U returns to action tomorrow morning to take on a pair of San Diego schools in San Diego State and UC San Diego. All contests are available for streaming on FloCollege.
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