Late homerun drowns Pacific

The game was scoreless in the bottom of the last inning as 49er designated hitter Elizabeth Sanches stepped up to the plate.

"Basically, I was just looking to get on base," Sanches said of the seventh inning at-bat. "The pitch was in. That's what I like."

Sanches then smacked the ball over the left field wall, picking up her first homerun of the season and helping the Long Beach State softball team beat University of Pacific during the second game Saturday.

"I'm glad it came when it did," Sanches said of her first homer.
 

Head Coach Pete Manarino didn't expect the long ball from Sanches."I was looking for Sanches to maybe drive the ball in the alley," he said. "It was a good win."

49er pitcher Traci Hensel (11-11) gave up one hit in a full game and recorded the win. Tiger pitcher Cindy Ball (18-11) suffered the loss.

In the first game, however, Pacific just got by the 49ers, 1-0. The lone run came at the top of the fourth inning when Tiger infielder Angele Alves scored on a 49er error.

"We just didn't play very well in the first game," Manarino said. "For some reason we just couldn't get rolling."

Tiger pitcher Liz Niadna (7-8) took the win in the first game, while 49er Kristi Fox (22-7) registered the loss.

The series between LBSU and Pacific continued Sunday with the 49ers' final home game of the season. Results for that game will be in Tuesday's Daily Forty-Niner.