Softball Drops a Pair of Games in Extra Innings at Speedline Invitational |
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(UNLV
boxscore) 3/17/07 --
The Long Island University softball team held a 3-1 lead heading into Freshman Chelsea Martinson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) had a hit and two RBIs for the Blackbirds, who fell to 8-14 on the season. Freshman Brynn Lewis and senior Randi Gillespie each added two hits. With one out in the seventh, a solo home run by by Jaci Hull cut the LIU lead in half, 3-2. A double and two consecutive singles scored UNLV’s third run of the game and sent the game into extra frames. In the eighth, the Blackbirds used two sacrifices to go ahead. A bunt by freshman Raylene Asman (Escondido, Calif.) advanced the runner on second base, who was placed there due to international tiebreaker rules, to third. Martinson followed with a deep fly to right that pushed Long Island ahead, 4-3. The Runnin’ Rebels also advanced their runner to third via sacrifice and after a groundout by the next batter it looked as though LIU might be able to pull out the victory. But a single up the middle by Brittany Freight tied the game and after a walk to the next hitter, a ground ball to the shortstop was misplayed and allowed the game-winning run to score. UNLV opened the game with a run in the bottom of the first as back-to-back gap doubles by Hull and Kelli Fangonilo gave the Runnin’ Rebels a 1-0 lead. A walk and fielder’s choice, followed by a double steal, put runners on second and third but Giles was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout to first. The score would remain the same until the top of the third, as two unearned runs gave the Blackbirds the lead. Martinson reached on an error and Lewis used a perfectly placed bunt to put two runners on with nobody out. After two outs were recorded, a wild pitch allowed Martinson to score the equalizer. Junior Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, Va.) gave LIU its first lead of the game as she ripped a single down the right-field line that snuck between the first baseman and the bag. The Blackbirds would extend their lead to 3-1 in the sixth as a single up the middle by Martinson plated freshman Mariesha Marker (Keizer, Ore.). Long Island concludes pool play of the Speedline Invitational as it faces the Golden Flashes of Kent State at approximately 5:00 p.m. Game Two The Long Island University softball team dropped its second consecutive Senior Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) again led the offensive attack, going 2-for-4 including a game-tying solo home run in the fourth inning. The Blackbirds will face Princeton in the first round of the bronze bracket on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. In a pitcher’s duel that yielded only four hits between the two teams in the first seven innings of play, Long Island scored twice in the top of the eighth. Sophomore Renae Beauchman (Eagle Rock, Calif.) pushed a bunt past the third baseman for a base hit that put runners on the corners. Freshman Raylene Asman (Escondido, Calif.) followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that gave LIU its first lead of the game. After freshman Andrea Diaz (Staten Island, N.Y.) stole her sixth base of the season to advance to second, classmate Chelsea Martinson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) ripped a single to left that again put runners on first and third. A wild pitch would allow Diaz to score the Blackbirds’ third run of the game. In the bottom half, freshman Blaire Porter (Redmond, Wash.)
struck out A scoreless ninth inning was followed by an empty
top of the tenth by Long Island. In Kent State’s half
of the 10th, a diving catch by junior Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke,
Va.) and a grounder
to first put a runner on third with two down. Another intentional
walk to Fitzpatrick put Houk up again and she came through with
a base hit up the middle to end the game. Porter finished with
10 strikeouts and allowed only five hits over 9 2/3 innings.
Kylie Reynolds pitched all ten innings for the complete-game
victory for Kent State and struck out 16 while walking just two.
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