By snoadmin
LAKEWOOD — Head coach Kim Sowder plugged right fielder Danielle Linke in the leadoff spot this season to add power at the top of the Long Beach State order.
With runners at the corner and two outs in the sixth inning, the senior delivered.
Linke lifted a three-run homer over the center field fence, to produce what proved to be huge insurance runs in the 49er softball team’s 6-5 win over Iowa State.
“She didn’t let the first two at-bats frustrate her,” Sowder said of Linke, who went 1-for-4 with three RBIs. “That was a nice two-out rally for us.”
Left fielder Ashley Weber also provided a strong offensive showing for the ‘Niners with a 4-for-4 plate performance.
Right-hander Brooke Turner (5-3) tossed a complete game, recording five strikeouts while giving up six hits and three earned runs to pick up the win for LBSU.
Charissa Carlin (6-2) took the loss for the Cyclones, going six innings to allow 13 hits and four earned runs.
Turner was flirting with another shutout when the offense handed her a 6-0 lead going into the sixth, but the Cyclone bats finally woke up.
Iowa State (13-4) sliced the margin to 6-5 when second baseman Amanda Bradberry drove in two runs with a hit to left; however, Bradberry was caught in a rundown between first and second to end the inning.
Turner regrouped to retire all three hitters she faced in the seventh, striking out Cyclone left fielder Carleigh Berry in the game’s final at-bat.
“[Iowa State] definitely showed why they’ve won so many ball games,” Sowder said. “It was good to see Brooke close it out.”
‘Niners catcher Kristen Pocock plated the game’s first run in the third on a single to right center, driving in Weber. Designated player Brandy Reyes also tacked on a run with an RBI single down the left field line to bring in third baseman Jennifer Griffin.
Griffin had her turn to drive in a run in the fifth when she smoked a double down the left field line to score Weber from first base.
The win moved the 49ers (8-7) above the .500-mark for the first time this season. Sowder said she feels the team is starting to develop consistency after losing five of its last seven before the current four-game winning streak.
“We’re starting to put things together,” she said. “We’re making defensive plays at the right time and doing a better job of playing a full seven innings.”
The weekend in Lakewood resumes tomorrow when the 49ers face Brigham Young University and Wisconsin. The first game is scheduled for 8:45 a.m.
LBSU closes out the tournament on Sunday with a rematch against the Cyclones at 8:30 a.m. before preparing for a showdown against No. 15 Fresno State later in the afternoon.
