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49ers
leave Las Vegas with three wins
By
Matt Pearson
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
Las
Vegas is known as America's playground,
but the 49ers softball team managed to turn
it into their backyard as they went 3-1
in the 2005 UNLV Classic this past weekend.
The 49ers carried the momentum of two straight
wins from the prior tournament to Las Vegas.
"We
are just trying to get better and better
as a team," 49ers Head Coach Pete Manarino
said.
In
the first game on Friday, the No. 25-ranked
49ers scored early and often as they pounded
Illinois-Chicago by a score of 9-1. The
Beach got on the board in the bottom of
the first inning courtesy of a two-run double
by junior third baseman Melanie McCauley.
Freshman
left fielder Lacy Tyler added a run in the
third for LBSU with a sacrifice fly. The
Beach then struck for three runs in the
fourth when senior right fielder Lindsay
Marksbury singled and then scored on a triple
by senior centerfielder Lauren Johnson.
After junior second baseman Tiffanie Wedell
was hit by a pitch, Marksbury scored on
a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Jessica
Beaver. Senior pitcher Marcell Torres singled,
which allowed Wedell to score.
LBSU
capped off the game against the Flames with
a three-run fifth inning, highlighted by
a two-run homer by Johnson. The game was
called after the inning due to the mercy
rule. Torres picked up the win (5-4) after
striking out three and just allowing one
run on four hits in five innings of work.
Johnson finished 3-4 with three RBIs and
three runs scored.
In
the second game of the day, senior Meredith
Cervenka continued her lights-out pitching
against Oregon to get the victory. The 49ers
put the game away with three runs in the
top of the seventh as Torres connected for
a two-run double. Marksbury added an RBI
single of her own as LBSU topped the Ducks,
4-0.
In
the late game on Saturday, the 49ers collected
their fifth straight victory as they defeated
Drake University by a score of 5-2.
On
the final day of the tournament, LBSU dropped
a tough game against Washington, 5-1. The
game remained tied at one until the top
of the eighth inning when the Huskies put
four runs on the board. The 49ers had their
chances to score, but they failed to capitalize.
LBSU stranded 13 runners on Sunday.
Cervenka
picked up the loss (6-3) for LBSU as she
pitched all eight innings, giving up five
runs and five hits and striking out a season-high
twelve batters.
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