LA VERNE, Calif. – The Pacific University softball team suffered a heartbreaking loss in their season opener before struggling at the plate in game two, dropping both contests to La Verne, Friday night at Campus West.
Nicole Leadley (Junior/Bothell, WA) went 4-for-8 on the day, racking up three RBI and scoring a run.
Rylee Patton (Senior/Eastvale, CA) also enjoyed a fantastic day at the plate, going 3-for-7 while driving in three runs.
Michelle Winfield (Junior/Beaverton, OR) scored four runs over the two games while blasting two extra-base hits. Samantha Pettit (Junior/Tigard, OR) posted two hits on the afternoon and scored three runs in her Pacific debut.
Game 1
Carly Bursch (Senior/Santee, CA) got the nod in the season opener and posted a decent line in her six innings of work. The senior allowed four earned runs while scattering 12 hits and striking out two.
Bursch tossed a scoreless first inning but a leadoff walk would come around to score in the second inning, giving La Verne the early lead.
Pacific would answer in the top of the third when Petitt, Patton and
Elizabeth Young (Senior/Port Orchard, WA) strung together three consecutive hits to spark a five-run inning.
However, the Leopards would respond with a three spot in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to just one run.
Leadley singled to right to bring home a run before Patton came through with an infield hit to plate another Boxer, making the score 7-4 in the top of the fourth inning.
Three runs over the next two frames would allow La Verne to tie the score at 7-7 heading into the seventh inning.
Pacific would score twice in the top half of the inning when
Michelle Winfield tripled to right field to drive a run home and Leadley laced a base hit up the middle to score the junior from third base.
In the last half of the seventh, the Leopards would use three hits and a walk to score three runs and walk it off, completing the spectacular comeback to win the contest 10-9.
Game 2
Patton was in the circle to start game two and lasted three innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. The Boxers were the first to get on the board in the second half of the doubleheader when Patton helped herself out with an RBI single, bringing Pettit around to score.
La Verne replied with three runs in their first turn at the plate and added another run in the fourth to take a commanding 4-1 lead. The Pacific bats would go quiet for the next three innings and the Leopards would take advantage by pushing three runs across in the fourth and fifth innings to extend their lead to 6-1.
Leadley would continue her excellent day at the plate as her fourth hit of the doubleheader scored Winfield from second base, who led off the inning with a double. La Verne tacked on one more run in the sixth and held on to sweep the doubleheader after their 7-2 victory.
Up Next
The Boxers are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they take on Pomona-Pitzer for a doubleheader. First pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
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