Pacific Coast Softball Conference

FOUR TEAMS TIED ATOP PCSC STANDINGS AT HALFWAY POINT
As the Pacific Coast Softball Conference schedule reached its halfway point Saturday, four teams find themselves tied atop the conference standings with 6-4 PCSC marks. Loyola Marymount entered Saturday’s home doubleheader against first-place Sacramento State two games behind the Hornets. However, behind senior right-hander Tiffany Pagano, the Lions swept the Hornets 2-1 and 1-0 to move into a first-place tie.

At Erv Lind Stadium in Portland, Saint Mary’s and Portland State both entered the day one-game out of first place at 5-3. The Vikings took the first game 5-1 behind a season-high 11 strikeouts from senior right-hander Mandy Hill and a four-run sixth inning. In the nightcap, the Gaels turned a triple play in the sixth inning to keep the game scoreless and scratched out a run in the top of the eighth inning on a two-out infield RBI single by senior center fielder Molly Bergeson to gain a split with a 1-0 victory.

The split moved both Saint Mary’s and Portland State to 6-4 in conference play and into a tie for first place with Loyola Marymount and Sacramento State.

Both series will conclude Sunday with doubleheaders beginning at noon.


LOYOLA MARYMOUNT SWEEPS SACRAMENTO STATE
LOS ANGELES -- LMU moved into a tie atop the Pacific Coast Softball Conference standings, sweeping league leaders Sacramento State 2-1 and 1-0 at Smith Field behind complete games in each contest from senior Tiffany
Pagano. The Lions (31-15, 6-4) reach the 30-win mark for the ninth time in the last ten seasons and pull even with the Hornets (24-17, 6-4 PCSC) atop the PCSC.

Sacramento State entered the game as the top-scoring team in the league at 5.6 runs per game but had no answer for Pagano, who conceded just nine hits and one run on the day. In doing so, she improved to 20-8 on the season to
reach 20 victories for the second straight season and move into a tie for the LMU career wins record with 69, alongside Jennifer Heliotes (1999-2002). She also established a new LMU single-season strikeout record, finishing the day with 14 K’s for 241 this year.

In game one, Pagano struck out 10 and junior Megan Ackerman’s solo home run in the fourth proved the difference in the 2-1 victory. Pagano, who started the day tied for the LMU single-season strikeout record, wasted no time in establishing the new mark as she recorded seven of the first nine outs via the punchout. Her only blemish was Izmena Cabrera’s solo home run in the fourth.

LMU scored the game’s first run in the second on freshman Priscilla Satete’s sharp single through the right side that plated junior Chelsie Tysdal. Tysdal had led off the inning with a walk, was bunted to second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Sophomore Darcy Pagnini’s double in the third put runners on second and third for the Lions but they were unable to advance further. After Cabrera tied the game at one with her solo home run in the fourth, Ackerman answered
right back in the bottom of the frame. Ackerman had just missed a home run foul on a fast ball, but adjusted on the next pitch, waiting on a changeup and depositing over the fence in left for her seventh homer of the season.

The Hornets would put runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth but Pagano worked her way out of each jam. In the seventh, they had runners on first and second with one out before Pagano closed the door by retiring the final two batters.

Pagano registered double-digit strikeouts for the 10th time this season and 22nd time in her illustrious career. She issued two walks. Junior Kirsten Slouber was the only Lion with more than one hit, going 2-for-3.

Former Lion Kayla Meeks (11-7) took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits in the complete game.

Pagano kept at it in the second game, holding the Hornets to four hits and taking advantage of some fortuitous help in the third inning. With the game scoreless, Sacramento State loaded the bases with two outs via two hits and a walk. Pagano fell behind Cabrera 3-0 but battled back to 3-2 before catching a break when Jamie Schloredt, the runner at first, was called out for leaving early in an attempt to get a jump on the play.

That opened the door for the Lions to score the game’s only run in the bottom of the third. With one out, Slouber tripled to right-center and freshman Amy Charpentier followed with an RBI single down the leftfield line. Pagano allowed just one batter to reach second the rest of the way, striking out the final two batters for her tenth shutout of the season.

Pagano allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four in the second game. Hornet starter Megan Schaefer (3-3) went the distance, allowing one run on five hits and two walks. Slouber again went 2-for-3, doubling and
tripling for her two hits.

The Lions and Hornets will play another double header Sunday at noon in the final home games of LMU’s season. The games will be preceded by a Senior Day Ceremony that will honor LMU seniors Tiffany Pagano and Tracy Cook.

SAINT MARY’S, PORTLAND STATE SPLIT
PORTLAND – Portland State and Saint Mary’s (CA) split a Pacific Coast Softball Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Erv Lind Stadium, helping create a four-way tie for first place in the conference. The Vikings (23-22, 6-4 PCSC) won game one 5-1, before the Gaels (20-21, 6-4 PCSC) rebounded for a 1-0, eight-inning victory in the nightcap.

Both teams entered the day a game behind first-place Sacramento State. The Hornets were swept in a twinbill Saturday at Loyola Marymount, who entered the afternoon two games out of first place.

Senior right-hander Mandy Hill (13-13) struck out a season-high 11 to earn the decision, and the Vikings’ scored four runs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie, in game one.

In game two, Saint Mary’s turned a triple play in the sixth inning to keep the game scoreless and senior center fielder Molly Bergeson’s drove in the game’s only run, with a two-out infield single in the eighth inning.

The two teams will conclude the four-game PCSC series with a doubleheader at Erv Lind Stadium Sunday at noon. Per PCSC rules, Saint Mary’s will be the designated home team in both games Sunday.

GAME 1: PORTLAND STATE 5, SAINT MARY’S 1
Tied 1-1 in the sixth inning, junior second baseman Jamee Rauch singled to start the bottom of the inning. Freshman shortstop Arielle Wiser advanced Rauch to second on a sacrifice bunt, and junior center fielder Jackie Heide then lined out to short for the second out of the inning. After Hill was pitched around and intentionally walked to put runners on first and second, junior first baseman Jana Rae Slayton lined a single up the middle to score Rauch and give Portland State a 2-1 lead.
   
The Vikings would add three more runs in the frame. Sophomore third baseman De’Chauna Skinner and junior catcher Kristin Wilson drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks, and junior pinch-hitter Jenna Wilson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home the fourth run of the inning.
   
Hill limited the Gaels to three hits and one walk.
   
Senior right-hander Megan Galloway (9-11) was charged with five runs, four earned, on five hits and four walks, while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings in suffering the loss.
   
Wiser gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single to score Kristin Wilson, who reached on a lead-off error.
   
The Gaels tied the score at 1-1 in the fifth inning on back-to-back two-out doubles by Galloway and junior catcher Sade Dolcini.

GAME 2: SAINT MARY’S 1, PORTLAND STATE 0 (8 INNINGS)
Bergeson lined a two-out single off the glove of Skinner at third base to score sophomore pinch-runner Melissa Barretto with what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Junior shortstop Lauren Clark opened the inning with a double to right center, and after Hill came on in relief of freshman right-hander Nichole Latham, advanced to third on junior left fielder Kayla Aldridge’s ground out. Hill then coaxed senior second baseman Bronwyn Russell to ground out to second for the second out of the inning and bring Bergeson to the plate.
   
Freshman right-hander Maryanne Cronin retired the Vikings in order in the bottom of the inning to complete the shutout and earn the win. Cronin held the Vikings to four hits and one walk, while striking out two, in going the distance.
 
Saint Mary’s turned a triple play in the sixth inning to keep the game scoreless. After Rauch and Wiser opened the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second, Heide attempted to advance the runners with a bunt. However, Heide’s bunt was caught in the air by a charging senior first baseman Sandra Ruezga, who then fired to Russell covering first to double Wiser off base for the second out. Russell was then able to run to second herself to force out Rauch and complete the triple play.
   
Latham (8-9) suffered the loss despite a solid start in which she allowed one run on two hits and two walks, while striking out six.

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