By snoadmin
There could be no other game for either team in Big West play as critical as these three beginning Saturday.
The No. 15-ranked Long Beach State softball team has staked its claim to be the top team in the conference, but so has UC Santa Barbara. These teams have created different reputations to notch identical Big West records. LBSU has done it mainly with a domineering pitching and defense, while the Gauchos have been successful with the bats.
Like two championship boxers heading into the final three rounds of a fight, the 49ers will enter the Campus Diamond in Santa Barbara to contend with the Gauchos not just to decide the Big West leader, but also to decide the best team in the conference.
The 49ers, as fans and opponents have come to realize, possess the best outfield in the Big West and one of the best in the nation. Freshman pitcher Brooke Turner is every hitter’s nightmare with a nation-low 0.46 ERA (tied with Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher), but it doesn’t stop there. The overall ERA of this team is 21st in the nation with 1.55, and fans can thank sophomore pitcher Bridgette Pagano’s 2.55 ERA for that. But pay more homage to the quick-mindedness and awareness of the other eight players on that field.
LBSU’s fielding (.972) is on the charts nationally, as it sits strong at 26th in the nation, but could be put to the test this weekend against a Big West team that hits harder and more often than UC Davis, CS Northridge and Cal Poly.
The Gauchos, at 24-18 overall this season, have put on hitting clinics for most of the season whether they win or lose. UCSB’s 39 total runs in Big West play lead the conference, while LBSU’s 17 total runs allowed are also a leading figure in the conference. The deadly arms of Gaucho slugger Tisha Duran have produced 11 home runs this season, and certainly won’t be intimidated by Turner and Pagano this weekend. UC Santa Barbara has hit a conference-leading 30 home runs this season. Duran’s 44 RBI alone can pose a serious threat to a 49er defense that has given up only 72 this season.
With UCSB’s .291 batting average ranking first in the conference and LBSU’s pitching ranking first as well, this makes for a showdown of contrasting styles of brilliance: offense vs. defense. But the things less looked upon could be at the center of attention and tip the balance of power in one team’s control. And those things come from the clutch hitting LBSU has managed to produce when it’s needed it the most.
Junior rightfielder Danielle Linke, senior shortstop Jessica Beaver, junior third basewoman Jennifer Griffin and senior catcher Brooke LeSage fit the mold of clutch playmakers for the 31-11 49ers.
Linke is second in the nation with eight triples and is someone head coach Kim Sowder calls a “power hitter.” Griffin and Beaver are first and third, respectively, in doubles with 14 and 12, and LeSage has been a consistent hitter all season with a .315 batting average and three runs scored in her last two games. All of the above are overwhelming to a Gaucho pitching staff that has struggled mightily with a 3.58 ERA this season, which ranks second to last amongst Big West teams.
But LBSU’s bright spots aren’t alone in the picture. The Gauchos, as good as they are at the plate, can be just as effective in the outfield. Ever wonder which team is right behind LBSU in fielding percentage in the Big West? The home run-hitting Gauchos are the answer with a .962 clip. They move the ball quickly and effectively and have 100 more assists than the 49ers (390-298), as well as five more double plays (15-10). Quick note: LBSU and UCSB have played the same amount of games this season.
Conference supremacy is at stake in this three-game battle in Santa Barbara. LBSU’s ongoing success has been characterized by its suffocating defensive efforts. UCSB’s consistent hitting and scoring has made it dangerous for any pitching staff. Something has to give.
