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Cervenka
steers 49ers back on course
Ace
• Senior pitcher Meredith Cervenka
was named the Big West Conference Pitcher
of the Week after recording 17 strikeouts
and a 0.82 ERA at the Palm Spring Classic
last weekend. Yulian Danusastro / Online
Forty-Niner
By
Matt Pearson
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
There
are times during every season when a team
struggles, and during these times one player
might have to momentarily carry the load
to steer the team back on track.
Senior
pitcher Meredith Cervenka provided a shoulder
to lean on as she led the 49ers' softball
team to a 1-0 win over the No. 3-ranked
Texas Longhorns. Cervenka (5-2) recorded
the 60th win of her career as she pitched
all eight innings and struck out a season-high
nine batters, while giving up only two hits.
"It
was a great game by both teams," Cervenka
said. "I was nervous before the game
but once it got started everything was fine."
Cervenka
was named the Big West Conference Pitcher
of the Week after topping Texas' All-American
pitcher Cat Osterman. At the Palm Springs
Classic, the 49ers' ace went 1-1 with 17
strikeouts in 17 innings pitched, and recorded
a 0.82 ERA.
Her
outstanding performance couldn't have come
at a better time for Long Beach State. The
49ers were shut out in their previous three
games by Northwestern (2-0), Wisconsin (1-0)
and Tennessee (8-0). But, Cervenka helped
steer the 49ers in the right direction as
they finished the tournament with two straight
wins.
Cervenka,
a kinesiology/sports psychology major, is
a 2001 graduate of Crescenta Valley High
School where she posted a career ERA of
0.03 and an overall record of 98-11 in four
years.
Cervenka
is the 49ers' all-time leader in strikeouts
(489) and third all-time in career wins
(60). She also is on the 2005 USA Softball
Top-40 Collegiate Player of the Year Watch
List.
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