Safe • With the ball thrown too high, UCLA fails to get the out as Brianna Goad makes it safely to first. Tracey Roman / Online Forty-Niner


49er women play tough despite rain



By Kim Oswell
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor


The dreary weather and frequent rain delays did not stop the women from competing in the Long Beach Invitational played at Mayfair Park, which included UCLA, Syracuse, Mercer and Mississippi State.

The three-day tournament began with 49er pitcher Michelle Turner pitching only the seventh perfect game in LBSU history against Mercer Friday night, aiding The Beach’s victory, 8-0. Day 1 of the Invitational resulted in UCLA beating Mississippi State 2-0, Mercer defeating Syracuse 2-1 and Mississippi State winning against Syracuse 3-1.

The 49er women played a double-header Saturday, falling to the Mississippi State Bulldogs 13-2 and then defeating Syracuse 15-2 later in the evening.

Martinez went four innings and had two strikeouts, but Bulldog pitcher Stephanie Comeaux dominated the 49er offense by going seven innings and allowing just four hits with five strikeouts. In the Syracuse game, Turner went five innings allowing just five hits and shutting down the offense with four strikeouts. Syracuse pitchers Erin Downey and Alexis Switenko could not keep The Beach’s offense quiet, giving up 19 hits and 15 runs, 14 of them earned. Goad went 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs and Tyler was 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs.

The results of the day included UCLA shutting down Syracuse 3-0 and Mercer 8-0 and Mississippi State defeating Mercer 4-3.

The final day of the Long Beach State Invitational matched up No. 4-ranked UCLA and LBSU, with the Bruins slipping past the 49ers 4-2.

UCLA got on the board early scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning because of Caitlin Benyi’s two-RBI homerun over the centerfield fence. The Beach fought back in the fourth inning when Tyler scored on a throwing error by Bruin third baseman Andrea Duran.

The Bruins kept the game interesting in the fifth with a triple by Krista Colburn that scored Tara Henry. LBSU tried to rally back in the sixth, scoring one run but leaving three on base. UCLA scored again in the sixth on a RBI double by Ashley Herrera and the game ended 4-2 in the top of the seventh.

The Invitational concluded with Syracuse beating Mercer 5-0 and a 3-0 UCLA victory over Mississippi State.

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