March 30, 2011
Final Stats
STOCKTON, Calif. - Pacific scored seven runs in the second and five more in the third to fell the No. 8/10 California softball team, 13-2, in five innings on Wednesday afternoon at Bill Simoni Field. As have been known to do, the Golden Bears (21-4) scored first, but the Tigers (19-11) exploded for 13 unanswered runs.
A sacrifice fly by Lindsey Ziegenhirt with the bases loaded in the top of first gave the Bears a 1-0 lead. The Tigers answered right back in the bottom of the first for pitcher Nikki Armagost singled in Megan Foglesong.
The Tigers absolutely unloaded in the bottom of the second, bringing around six runners off six hits to gain a 7-2 lead after two complete innings of play. A walk, two singles and a sac bunt scored one more in the bottom of the third before Armagost sent a 2-2 pitch flying into center field for a grand slam, putting the Tigers up for good at 12-2.
Freshman Arianna Erceg earned the start and suffered the loss after giving up the first seven runs. Cassandra Vega pitched 1.1 innings in relief before Erceg re-entered in the bottom of the fourth.
Top 1 - Cal 1, Pacific 0:
Vonk walked and moved to second when Decker hit a dribbling bunt to second and was safe at first. Williams loaded the bases with a slow-moving liner into left field. Ziegenhirt flied out just at the fence in left-center field but it was not unproductive for Vonk tagged and game home. With two away, Frani Echavarria's grounder to second was easily fielded by Alexa Rivera, who tossed it to shortstop Megan Allen to get the advancing Williams.
Bottom 1 - Cal 1, Pacific 1:
Nikki Armagost singled up the middle to place Foglesong, who had reached on a walk.
Top 2 - Cal 2, Pacific 1:
With a 1-2 count and one away, Jordan Wallace smacked the ball to right center for her third homer of the year. Alex Robben walked and Elia Reid took a shot to the back to put runners at first and second for Vonk, who lined out to Taylor Petty at third. Armagost got out the rest of the inning unscathed with a looking strikeout issued to Ashley Decker.
Bottom 2 - Cal 2, Pacific 7:
Rodriguez hit the ball hard at third to Williams, who tipped it off her glove but it was too powerful to crab and two Tigers were aboard with no outs. Rivera moved to third and Rodriguez to second when a pitch from Erceg got away from Ziegenhirt. The payoff pitch to Allen missed by the narrowest of narrow inches, juicing the bases with Tigers. The defense got rolling when Lindsey Pierce hit the ball to Williams, who made the throw to Ziegenhirt, who was stationed with one foot on the plate with time to spare to get the force out.
Megan Hom hit a chopped to Victoria Jones at second, but the freshman infielder adeptly fielded the ball and threw it home to get the advancing Rodriguez. During Folgesong's at bat, Erceg issued a wild pitch, allowing Allen to cross home. Foglesong singled to left and moved to second on the throw while two Tigers came home. Nicole Matson golfed a pitch into right center, scoring Foglesong to put UOP up by three. Armagost hit a clean single into center, where Frani Echavarria came up throwing directly on target to home to prevent Matson from rounding the corner at third. Amy Moore doubled over Decker's head in right to score the sixth run of the inning and forced Diane Ninemire's hand to bring in Cassandra Vega. Vega got Rivera to fly out to Elia Reid in left and end the inning with UOP up, 7-2.
Bottom 3 - Cal 2, Pacific 12:
Folgesong hit a perfectly place single to Jones at second for Jones was able to scoop it up but not turn and make a play at first or home. The hit scored Rodriguez, who had walked to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sac bunt from Allen and to third when Home singled. Matson walked to load the bases for Armagost with two away and her Tigers leading by six. Armagost got ahold of a change from Vega for her second grand slam of the year. Vega got Moore to go down swinging for the final out of the inning.
Bottom 4 - Cal 2, Pacific 13:
To get the second out of the inning, Britt Vonk made a great play at the hot corner, drifting over to grab a hit from Lindsey Pierce, who reached on a fielder's choice, and get the force out at third. Hom singled to center, plating Rodriguez for the Tigers' 12 run with two outs. Vonk made the final play of the inning, grabbing a grounder from Foglesong and tossing it to Williams at third.
