Lewis' Clutch Hitting Helps Lift Softball to 5-4 Win Over No. 32 Cal State Fullerton on Final Day of Palm Springs Invitational

(Cal-State Fullerton Box Score)
(Arizona State Box Score)

2/25/07 -- After trailing by two runs twice and battling back both times, the Long Island University softball team got a sacrifice fly from freshman Brynn Lewis (Woodinville, Wash.) in the ninth inning that scored the game-winning run in a thrilling 5-4, come-from-behind victory over No. 32 Cal State Fullerton on the final day of the Palm Springs Invitational on Sunday afternoon.

Lewis also had a clutch two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning that tied the score at 4-4 and sent the game into extra innings. Freshman Blaire Porter (Redmond, Wash.) recorded her first collegiate victory in relief, pitching a pair of perfect innings.

After a walk to freshman Chelsea Martinson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) led off the seventh inning, two wild pitches advanced her to third base. With one out, junior Brittany Murphy (Los Alamitos, Calif.) walked and pinch runner Andrea Diaz (Staten Island, N.Y.) stole her third base of the season to set up Lewis’ heroics.

With a 1-2 count and two down, Lewis laced a double to right field that scored both runners and knotted the game at 4-4. It was the first hit of the game for LIU after Cal State Fullerton pitching had walked seven batters, thrown six wild pitches and hit a batter.

Starting pitcher Jenny Giles (Melbourne, Fla.) then set the Titans down in order in the bottom half to send the game into extra frames. Giles finished the game allowing only one earned run over seven innings.

The Blackbirds loaded the bases in the eighth inning as a hit-by-pitch and walk plus the runner placed on second due to international tiebreaking rules gave LIU a golden opportunity with only one out. Fullerton’s relief pitcher Brooke Weekley bore down, though, and struck out the next two Long Island batters.

Porter got out of trouble in the bottom half of the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner on second over and a hit-by-pitch and stolen base put runners on second and third with only one out. But the freshman hurler got Amanda Fernandez, who had three hits on the day, to line out to first base then induced Sheila Holguin to ground out to second to end the rally attempt.

Long Island finally broke through with a run in the ninth. Freshman Mariesha Marker (Keizer, Ore.) was placed on second and after a failed sacrifice attempt, a chopper by classmate Raylene Asman (Escondido, Calif.) was fielded by the shortstop and sent to third base. Marker slid under the tag and put runners on first and third with one out. Lewis followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Marker, who slid under the tag at home for the game-winner. Porter closed the game with two fly ball outs to secure LIU’s first victory of the tournament.

In the second game of the day, No. 2 Arizona State defeated the Blackbirds, 7-0. Katie Burkhart threw a complete-game two hitter for the Sun Devils and recorded 10 strikeouts. Junior Celina Castillo (Bay Area, Calif.) had a double and sophomore Amanda Devan (Vista, Calif.) had an infield single in the seventh to account for LIU’s only two hits of the game.

The Blackbirds will have a 10-day layoff before traveling to Tampa, Fla. for the adidas Tampa Tournament on Thursday, Mar. 8. Long Island will face Michigan State and UT-Chattanooga on the first day of competition.