Feb. 29, 2008

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - Pitching out of a few jams throughout the day, junior hurler Chelsea Engle (Folsom, Calif.) picked up her fourth win of the year, leading the Pacific softball team to a 3-0 shutout of Louisville in the second game of the Worth Invitational on Friday, February 29. The win lifted the Tigers to 6-10 on the season and 1-1 at the tournament while the Cardinals dropped to 5-6 on the year.

With Engle controlling the Cardinal bats at the plate, the Tigers got all the offense they would need in the bottom half of the third inning when sophomore Kellee Wilson (Tracy, Calif.) brought out the big stick for the second game in a row, lifting her second solo shot of the day down the leftfield line to put Pacific up 1-0. The homerun marked the fourth time this season Wilson has gone deep and marked her team-leading 14th RBI of the year.

After Wilson gave the Tigers the 1-0 lead, Pacific's offense continued to push, posting insurance runs in both the fourth and the sixth innings to ensure their sixth win of the season. In the fourth, freshman Nicole Matson (Castaic, Calif.) showed off her own power, blasting a leadoff homerun over the centerfield fence to put the Tigers' up by two runs. Her solo homerun was the third of the season for the freshman shortstop and lifted her season batting average to .250.

In the sixth, the Tigers manufactured a run, playing small ball after Matson reached first base to start the inning after being hit by a 0-2 pitch. Sophomore Nicole Gradwohl (Livermore, Calif.), pinch-hitting for the first time in the inning, laid down a sacrifice bunt on another 0-2 pitch to move Matson to second while a single up the middle by sophomore Karie Wilson (Glendale, Ariz.) moved Matson to third.

With a runner just 60 feet from paydirt, junior Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) picked up her first RBI of the day on a slap groundout to the rightside of the infield.

With her offense putting up three runs, Engle averted a pair of bases loaded jams in both the second and the seventh inning to pick up the victory. In addition to the bases loaded jams, Engle pitched her way out of a leadoff triple in the sixth inning to pick up her third shutout of the year. Despite giving up 10 hits to the Cardinals, Engle induced enough groundballs and popups to avert danger while also posting her second game of the season without a walk to the opposition. While not giving up a walk, Engle posted five strikeouts in the contest.

For the Cardinal, Kassie Stanfill was tagged with the loss as she relinquished two runs on three hits in three innings of work.

Pacific will play Notre Dame at 9:15 am tomorrow, Saturday, March 1, in the opening game of day two of the Worth Invitational.