FULLERTON, Calif. - Seattle University softball (10-7) captured its first program win over BYU (4-13) behind a 4-0 shutout before narrowly falling to California (6-13) 4-3 at the Judi Garman Classic on Friday afternoon.
Senior Ava Sin led the Redhawks against the Cougars recording two hits, an RBI and a run in three at bats. Graduate Jay Ross posted two RBI with a hit, while junior Karen Spadafora and junior Mikee Morris rounded out the quartet of Redhawks with hits against BYU.
Morris, senior Taylor Fitch, Spadafora and Sin each scored runs in the contest. Spadafora guided the defense with four putouts with the assistance of senior Brooklyn Jones who paced the team with five putouts from first base. Fitch tallied a team leading three assists from third base.
Junior Berkley Vance led from the circle, pitching all 7.0 innings of the contest. She faced 27 batters and struck out three without conceding a run for her fourth win of the season.
Four runners reached base in the opening three frames as the tug of war between the two defenses kept both the Cougars and Redhawks scoreless. Vance logged her first strikeout of the day in that time span while the outfield recorded two of the three outs in the top of the fourth.
Fitch drew a walk in the bottom of the fourth as Sin stepped up to single on her first pitch to advance Fitch into scoring position. Spadafora battled at the plate before her single filled the bases facing one out. Ross crafted her 2 RBI single on her first pitch to score both Sin and Fitch. Sophomore Abbie Fales was walked to keep the bases loaded as Jones recorded the RBI of the sac fly to score Spadafora. SU exited the bottom of the fourth with three hits and three runs to take 3-0 advantage into the fifth.
The Redhawk infield kept the Cougars from scoring, only allowing one of the four batters seen to reach base. Morris singled for her base hit in the bottom of the fifth before advancing to third off a throwing error. Sin scored Morris with her RBI single for the final run of the contest. Seattle U led 4-0 entered the final frames and crafted back to back three up, three down innings to secure the program’s first win over BYU.
Returning thirty minutes later, the Redhawks prepared to face California in a rematch from a season ago.
Morris and Sin both logged multi-hit performances against the Golden Bears, recording two a piece. Sin recorded an RBI and two hits in two at bats. Fales, Jones and Spadafora rounded out the group with hits in game two. Fitch, freshman Oona Capristo and junior Avari Morris scored the three runs.
Spadafora led the defense with six putouts aiding Avari Morris who earned the start from the circle. Morris pitched for 5.0 innings and faced 23 batters. She struck out five. Junior Ellie Bostedt pitched the remaining 1.0 innings and faced five batters without conceding a run.
Both teams went scoreless through the opening frame as Morris collected her first strikeout in the bottom of the first. Cal struck first, scoring two in the bottom of the second before Morris and the defense locked down the Bears in the bottom of the third for another scoreless inning.
Mikee Morris led the Redhawks in the top of the fourth reaching base on a single to right field. Her sister Avari reached on an error by Cal’s outfield, putting the pair in scoring position. Fitch put runners on the corners as the Bears forced the out at home before Sin sent out her RBI single to center to score Avari. Capristo entered to run for Sin before Spadafora reached after she was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ross got to first off a fielding error by Cal’s right fielder allowing Fitch to score. Fales. Recorded her RBI single to score Capristo to give the Redhawks their first lead of the day 3-2 after the fourth.
Cal responded in the bottom of the fourth with the final two runs of the contest scoring off a 2 RBI homer to left center. Morris ended the inning with back to back strikeouts. Seattle U got three runners on in the top of the sixth after a pair of walks and a single from Spadafora but could not draw in a runner to tie the contest. The Redhawks stranded two Cal runners in the bottom of the sixth to keep within one entering the seventh.
Down to their final three outs, the Redhawks got two runners on after a single from Mikee Morris and a Fitch was hit by a pitch. Once more the Bears spoiled the Redhawks’ attempt at a tie to take the contest 4-3 in the seventh.
Seattle U returns to action tomorrow morning to take on East Texas A&M for the first time in program history. The Redhawks end day two of the Judi Garman Classic against No. 9 UCLA.
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