The Long Beach State softball team secured its 18th trip to the NCAA Regionals after splitting a doubleheader against Pacific Friday at the 49er Softball Complex.
The potentially gritty comeback performance from the 49ers (38-15, 14-6 Big West) in game one was ultimately nullified. The Tigers (25-33, 7-13 Big West) pulled off the victory, 4-3, in nine innings.
Misfortune afflicted LBSU in the ninth inning of the extra-innings ballgame when the Tigers’ Keely Wilson scored the go-ahead run.
Brianna Goad and Jessica Beaver sparked potential for a big third inning for the 49ers, as Goad drew a walk, while Beaver was hit by a pitch. Franciska Morlet then reached base after beating out a throw from third base and an overthrow brought home the game’s first run. Jennifer Griffin’s RBI single scored Beaver, giving Long Beach a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers came right back, however, as Wilson and pitcher Alyce Jorgensen both scored, once off an error, tying the game 2-2. Errors were commonplace for the 49ers during the course of game one, committing six in total. In the fifth, the Tigers took the lead with an RBI in the form of a sacrifice fly off the bat of Wilson.
The score would remain 3-2 until a seventh-inning rally from the 49ers, as Jonae Perez led off with a double. After a single from Morlet, a sacrifice fly from Beaver tied the game 3-3.
Both pitchers went the distance as Bridgette Pagano (13-11) took the loss after allowing four runs – three earned – on six hits.
LBSU bounced back to blank the Tigers 5-0 in game two behind freshman starter Brooke Turner, who set a school record with her 16th shutout and gave The Beach an automatic bid into the NCAA Regionals.
Turner (25-4) scattered four hits over seven innings of work and struck out eight batters in the victory.
Beaver drove in two runs for the 49ers, and left fielder Lacy Tyler collected two of the team’s five hits and finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
LBSU concludes the series and the regular season against Pacific Saturday at 1 p.m. at the 49er Softball Complex.
