By snoadmin
The momentum of a successful first day of competition couldn’t carry over for the Long Beach State softball team, as errors plagued The Beach at the NCAA Regionals in Iowa City, Iowa.
The No. 14-seeded 49ers (40-17) stranded 11 runners on base in their elimination game Saturday, falling to host Iowa, 5-2, Saturday at Bob Pearl Field.
Head coach Kim Sowder still found many positives in a season that included becoming the first Big West Conference team since 2004 to reach the 40-win plateau.
“[One of our goals] was to get off to a great start and we did that this year,” Sowder said. “We had some signature wins against Florida, Northwestern and Texas A&M, and we realized how good we were. We played a tough schedule that made us better, but at the same time I think wore us down a bit at the end.
“We’re excited about the future. We have some veterans returning, and we’re going to have different leaders next year. We had great leadership from our seniors this year [LeSage, Tyler, Jessica Beaver and Franciska Morlet], all four of them.”
Third basewoman Colleen McGlaughlin went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and leadoff hitter Chelsey Carmody set the tone, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Hawkeyes (41-20).
LBSU freshman starter Brooke Turner (27-6), pitching for second time in the same day for the first time all season, lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed five runs – four earned – on 10 hits and struck out four.
At the plate, right fielder Danielle Linke and designated player Ashley Weber combined to go 5-for-8 with two RBIs, both from Linke, but the 49ers were unable to capitalize on most of their scoring opportunities against Hawkeyes starter Brittany Weil.
Weil (28-14) gave up two runs on eight hits, struck out five and danced around the LBSU threats.
Facing a bases loaded jam in the sixth and Iowa leading 5-2, Weil struck out senior catcher Brooke LeSage looking to end the inning.
The 49ers were forced into the elimination game by the Missouri Tigers, who moved into the regional final after defeating LBSU 5-3 earlier Saturday.
Left fielder Lacy Tyler gave the 49ers an early 1-0 lead with her RBI single in the second, but Missouri (46-15) stormed back with five unanswered runs before LeSage’s two-run home run in the seventh capped the scoring.
The defense didn’t help Turner’s cause, committing five errors that led to four Tigers runs. The freshman right-hander allowed just one earned over five innings.
“We definitely didn’t play our best and our defense hurt us quite a bit,” Sowder said. “You can’t do that against the quality of the opponents we were playing.”
Errors were the story of the Iowa City Regional opener Friday, as the 49ers edged Creighton 2-1 in eight innings.
With the bases loaded in the eighth, Bluejays first basewoman Renae Sinkler was unable to field Brianna Goad’s shot and pinch-runner Casey Burba crossed home to end the game.
Third basewoman Jennifer Griffin led the 49er offense, going 2-for-3 including a first-inning RBI single to give LBSU the early advantage.
