California Baptist University
Biola University (Calif.)
GOLDEN AFTERNOON
3/10/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
The Lancers' long wait for their first GSAC game of the year, which was pushed back a week when last Tuesday's doubleheader against No. 4 Point Loma Nazarene was rained out, was vindicated with their 15th and 16th victories in a row, as they improve to 19-1 on the season.
“We came out swinging the bats well today,” said fourth-year California Baptist head coach Mike Smith. “We're excited to finally get to the conference schedule, and I could see by the way our players performed today that they each want this thing badly. It was clear to see their hunger for a national championship out there today.”
Smith, the GSAC's 4-time Coach of the Year, watched his hitters blast 5 home runs on the afternoon, including a pair from 2006 All-GSAC first-baseman Geanie Jenkins, who knocked in 4 RBI and scored 3 times on the afternoon.
Jenkins' homer in the nightcap was backed up by a solo shot from Erin Moore's second longball of the season, making the score 6-0 in the fifth inning. Sarah Hurlbut's deep fly?also No. 2 on the campaign?had put the Lancers ahead 3-0 in the second inning, as Moore and Casandrah Carreon scored on the 3-run shot.
The Lancers' seventh run of the game came around to score on a remarkably unique play in the home half of the sixth inning. CBU had loaded the bases with one out, when Nikki Lowe ripped a ground ball that was gloved by a lunging Lindsey Nuckolls in the hole of first and second base. Nuckolls?still on her knees?tagged out pinch runner Jenny Lee and threw a strike to first base that looked, for all intents and purposes, to end the inning on a nifty double play.
But, as the old saying goes, if you come to the ballpark, you're going to see something new every day. Nuckolls' throw was mishandled by first-baseman Sarah Jensen, allowing Lowe to reach and Keeley Johnson?who had been at third base?to score the Lancers' seventh run of the game. Sara Goforth, who had started the play on second base, advanced to third base on the play, but was thrown out at the plate thanks to a heads-up throw from Jensen.
The extra run was more than enough for Amy Thomas, who picked up her 10th win of the season (against no losses). She tossed 7 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits for her third shutout in the past 5 games. Thomas, who has not allowed an earned run since Feb. 17?a span of 35 innings?walked one and struck out 6 in the victory.
Emily Gray (4-2) was chased in the fifth inning after allowing 6 earned runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. She notched 3 strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.
The longball went the Lancers' way in the opener as well. Jenkins bashed a 2-run shot in the first inning that plated Lowe, who had doubled with 2 outs in the frame.
Kacey Lyding's 1-out single in the Biola half of the third inning snapped a string of 7 batters retired to start the game and marked the beginning of Candice Thomas' first real trouble on the afternoon.
Following Lyding's single, Brittney Bury was hit with a pitch right, and Thomas mishandled an Amerra Kesterson ground ball to load the bases with just one out in the inning. Thomas (9-1) bore down, however, striking out Jensen and Nuckolls?Biola's 2-3 batters?to escape the jam unscathed.
Nuckolls and Keena Levert both touched up Thomas with a solo shot apiece in the sixth, but Carreon had homered in the home half of the fourth inning, and the Lancers scored 2 more runs in the sixth inning to pad the lead.
Jenkins doubled with one out in the sixth and scored on an RBI single from Carreon, whose pinch runner came home on a pinch-hit single from Moore, making the final score 5-2.
Thomas (9-1) tossed 7 innings, where she allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits for the win. She set down 7 Eagles on strikes?including 2 strikeouts to NAIA All-American Kesterson, who fanned just 4 times in 2006?and did not issue a walk.
Katie Gustaveson took the loss to drop to 5-4 after throwing 6 innings, as she surrendered 5 earned runs on 8 hits, no walks. She whiffed 3 Lancers in the outing.
