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Long
Beach State small center fielder carries
big bat
Gloved
• Senior Lauren Johnson captains LBSU's
softball team in center field. Jon Cook
/ Daily Forty-Niner
Swing
• Senior Lauren Johnson leads the
49ers' softball team with three home runs.
Jon Cook / Daily Forty-Niner
By
Matt Pearson
Daily Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
Senior center fielder Lauren Johnson provided
late-inning heroics on her way to the winning
the Big West Conference Co-Player of the
Week award as she helped lead the 49ers'
softball team to three wins at the Stanford
Invitational this past weekend.
Johnson
earned her second Big West Player of the
Week award of her career by batting .400
(6-for-15) in the tournament. Although she
is the lead-off hitter on the team, Johnson
showed the ability to hit the long ball
by blasting three home runs in a span of
two games.
"I've
always been small, but I've always been
able to hit the deep ball" Johnson
said.
Fortunately
for Long Beach State, Johnson displayed
her power when it counted most. In the first
game on Friday against Kentucky, she connected
for a two-run homer in the second inning
to ignite the 49ers to a 5-0 win.
In
the second game against DePaul game on Friday,
Johnson gave the lead to the 49ers with
a solo home run in the bottom of the first.
Johnson would strike again in the bottom
of the seventh when LBSU was down to their
final out and trailing 3-1, and she belted
a two-run homer to tie the game at 3-3.
The Beach would go on to win the game 4-3
in nine innings.
As
a captain for the 49ers, Johnson has brought
her veteran knowledge and experience to
the team.
"She
brings good leadership," Head Coach
Pete Manarino said.
Johnson,
a political science major, came to LBSU
after graduating from Cerritos High School
in 2001. At Cerritos, she was named to the
Suburban League's first-team.
During
her career at LBSU, Johnson ranks third
all-time with 13 homeruns. And in 2004,
she set 49er single-season with runs scored
(41), and sacrifice hits (24).
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