April 11, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Santa Clara, CA - LMU completed its four-game sweep of Santa Clara, taking boths games in the final doubleheader of their Pacific Coast Softball Conference series Saturday afternoon at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA. The Lions (21-21, 7-1 PCSC) won game one 11-8 before pounding the Broncos (5-35, 0-8 PCSC) 9-0 in five innings in game two.

Senior Megan Ackerman finished one of the best weekends of her career, ending the series 7-for-12 with 11 RBI and three home runs as the Lions scored double-digit runs in three of the four games. Junior Melissa Dykema was also outstanding, limiting the Broncos to a combined three hits over two shutout starts.

LMU twice had to come from behind in game one, the last time using a seven-run sixth inning to overcome a 6-4 deficit. A single by senior Chelsie Tysdal and consecutive walks to open the bottom of the sixth gave the Lions a chance with the bases loaded and no outs. Junior Darcy Pagnini made it a one-run game with a sacrifice fly and a groundout put runners on second and third with two away. Senior MiaSarah Cesena then beat out a single to second, bringing home Ackerman with the tying run. Junior J.J. Hartung and senior Kirsten Slouber each followed with doubles and freshman Sam Fischer hit her 10th home run of the season to give the Lions a commanding 11-6 lead.

Playing as the visiting team, Santa Clara took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Ackerman's error that allowed Jackie Nicora to score from second. The Lions recovered with three runs in the bottom of the frame, taking a 2-1 lead on freshman Kelly Sarginson's two-run homer, her eighth of the season and the third straight game in which she had gone deep. After hitting back-to-back homers on Friday, the Lions did it again, with Pagnini following Sarginson's round-tripper with one of her own, giving the Lions a 3-1 advantage. The Lions would load the bases later in the inning but could not add to their tally.

Santa Clara would bounce back with a four-run fourth, highlighted by Megan Smith's bases-clearing double, but Ackerman atoned for her earlier error by hitting a run-scoring double to left that pulled LMU back to within 5-4. However, the Lions again left the bases loaded and Briana Knight restored the Broncos' two-run lead by leading off the fifth with a home run.

After going 0-for-3 in each of Friday's games, Fischer bounced back with a 3-for-5 outing, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Hartung and Pagnini each had two hits and two RBI as every LMU starter had at least one hit.

Freshman Corie Goodman improved to 11-10 on the season, allowing eight runs (five earned) on nine hits in the complete game. She struck out three and walked one.

Jenna Fong took the loss, giving up 11 runs on 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

In game two, the Lions jumped all over Santa Clara starter Kaitlyn Rauschnot with five runs in the first inning and scored all nine of their runs on the day with two outs. With two away and two on in the first, Ackeman hit her fourth home run of the weekend, putting LMU up 3-0. After a single by Sarginson kept the inning alive, Pagnini launched her second homer of the day to left to make it 5-0.

The Lions scored two more with two outs in the second, with Tysdal driving in Fischer and Cesena, who had each singled earlier, with a double down the leftfield line. The two-out hits kept coming as Cesena in turn delivered a run-scoring single with two down in the third, subsequently coming home on Hartung's triple.

The only drama left in the day was whether Dykema would get her second career no-hitter. The junior retired the first 10 batters she faced before allowing a one-out single to Megan Smith in the fourth for the Broncos' only hit. Dykema proceeded to walk the next two batters but worked out of the bases-loaded jam to preserve the shutout. She struck out four and walked two.

Pagnini and Cesena each went 2-for-2 for the Lions.

The Lions return home next weekend for a four-game series against San Diego. The teams play noon doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

- GO LIONS -