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Clutch
• Senior first baseman Oli Keohohou’s
RBI-single won the game on Sunday. CSULB
Sports Information
49ers
clinch Big West title with sweep over Gauchos
By
Matt Pearson
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor
The No. 24-ranked Long Beach State softball
team captured the Big West title with a
sweep over UC Santa Barbara over the weekend.
“They’re doing all the right
things right now,” said Head Coach
Pete Manarino.
The 49ers improved to 36-14,16-2 Big West
while the Gauchos fell to 26-19, 9-9 Big
West.
LBSU clinched the division title in the
final game of the series with a 2-1 win
on Sunday.
Senior Oli Keohohou provided heroics for
the division champions on Sunday by accounting
for all 49er runs, going 2-for-4 with 2
RBIs and a run scored.
With LBSU trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Keohohou
tied the game with a solo homerun.
And with the game still tied in the ninth
inning, Keohohou sent everyone home with
a game-winning single that scored senior
Lindsay Marksburys who started the rally
with a two-out walk.
Senior pitcher Meredith Cervenka picked
up her 22nd victory of the season after
giving up just one run on five hits and
striking out seven. Cervenka’s 22
victories are fourth-best all-time in a
single season in program history.
Before outright clinching the division Sunday,
LBSU at least guaranteed a share of the
conference title with two wins on Saturday.
In the first game, sophomore second baseman
Kendra Singley scored on an error by freshman
Lacy Tyler to give UCSB a 1-0 lead in the
top of the first inning.
But the lead would not last, as senior center
fielder Lauren Johnson led off the bottom
half of the inning with a homerun to tie
the game 1-1.
Keohohou put the 49ers up 2-1 in the third
inning with a solo homer and junior second
baseman Tiffanie Wedell padded the lead
with an RBI-single in the fourth.
The score remained close with the 49ers
leading 3-2, until LBSU put some space between
themselves and the Gauchos.
In the sixth, freshman Jessica Beaver led
off the inning with a walk. After a Johnson
sacrifice bunt moved to Beaver to second,
Keohohou recorded a two-out walk.
And with two on and two out, senior designated
hitter Marcel Torres belted a three homer
to put the 49ers up 6-2.
Despite struggling in her first three at-bats,
striking out twice, Torres came through
for The Beach when they needed her the most.
“My first couple at bats, I struggled,”
Torres said. “I have to make adjustments
and try to make base hits.”
Torres took up pitching duties in the second
game and turned in a solid performance as
she pitched seven innings, gave up one run
on six hits and struck out four batters.
USCB once again grabbed a quick 1-0 lead,
but Johnson tied the game with an RBI-single
in the second inning.
With the 49ers up 3-1, The Beach put the
game away with a 5-run fourth inning.
Keohohou set the events in motion with a
one-out single. Freshman right fielder Jonae
Perez followed with a walk as did Tyler.
With the bases loaded, junior third baseman
Melanie McCauley busted the game open with
a 2-run double that scored Keohohou and
Perez.
Sophomore left fielder Kourtnee Gervasi
knocked in Tyler and McCauley with a single,
and then scored on an RBI-double by Beaver.
This would be all the 49ers needed as LBSU
won 8-1.
The 49ers travel for a three-game set at
UC Riverside May 13-14 to finish up league
play this weekend.
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