Softball • Sophomore
Franciska Morlet is an outfilder for
LBSU women’s softball team. The
women have won three of its last four
games and are 5-1
in conference play.’Jeffery Patch / Online Forty-Niner
Women’s softball leads
conference play
By
Kyle Cavaness
Online Forty-Niner
Assistant Sports Editor
The Long Beach State women’s softball team has won three of its last
four games, increasing the season record to 20-15 and 5-1 in Big West Conference
Play.
Michelle Turner’s strong pitching marked her sixth shutout of the season
as LBSU overcame late offensive errors April 9 as they beat the Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo Mustangs 1-0, clinching the weekend series 2-1. They split the
double-header April 8, loosing the second game 0-1 to the Mustangs.
The 49ers made up a game against Cal State Northridge April 12 because of a
rain-out the week before. LBSU won 2-1 and Turner got her 17th win of the season
putting her record at 17-7. Turner was named Big West Conference Pitcher of
the Week for the fifth time this season April 10, which is a school and conference
record.
The lone run of the April 9 game came in the first inning, when Breezy Goad
hit a leadoff double off the center field wall, advanced on a bunt by Tiffanie
Wedell, and scored on a single by Turner. The game became a pitcher’s
duel after the first inning, with the 49ers only bringing in two more hits
for the rest of the game and never again having runners in scoring position.
The 49ers’ win maintains its standing at the head of the Big West Conference,
placing Cal Poly in fourth – though Head Coach Pete Manarino said that’s
no reason to underestimate the Mustangs.
“
Cal Poly’s a nice ballclub … they’re going to give conference
some fits,” said Manarino. “We hung in there, we fought hard“… we
were fortunate to win that game.”
The 49ers’ defense turned the seventh inning into a nail-biter for the
fans, with errors at shortstop and second base, helping load the bases for
the Mustangs. Fortunately for the home team, Mustang second baseman Lisa Modglin
lined out to Melanie McCauley down the third base line to end the game.
“
We cannot kick the ball around like that in the seventh inning, that’s
not 49er softball,” Manarino said.
“
Mel came back to make a nice play … We’re going to have to play
[more consistent] softball in order to be successful later on in the conference.”
The April 9 game ended a three-game series against the Mustangs at the 49er
Softball Complex, after a doubleheader the two teams split on Saturday. Turner
allowed only four hits in the first game, with the Mustang’s only run
coming off of Chelsea Green’s solo home run.
LBSU scored three runs in the fourth inning to take the game, 3-1. The only
run of the second game came off of an RBI single by Modglin, giving Cal Poly
a 1-0 win over the 49ers. Mustang pitcher Robyn Kontra threw a three-hit shutout,
giving LBSU it’s first Big West Conference loss this season.
The make-up game 2-1 win against CSUN gave LBSU a sweep against the Matadors.
Sophomore Jessica Beaver had two of the three hits by LBSU, the other by Ashley
Weber.
The women play a weekend series at home against UC Riverside April 22-23. The
first game is at 1 p.m. April 22 at the softball complex. Admission is free
to all CSULB students with valid ID.
|
