California Baptist University
Azusa Pacific
FRESHMAN DUO
3/31/2009 7:00:00 AM | Softball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ? There's not too many freshman that can step into the circle and shutout the No. 21 team in the nation, but California Baptist University has two of them. Tory Ferreira and Emma Holden each tossed a complete-game shutout in 5-0, 4-0 doubleheader sweep over No. 21 Azusa Pacific.
The Lancers (38-2, 14-2) also shutout their opponent for the 22nd time this year.
Ferreira (13-0) tossed her eighth complete game and sixth shutout of the year in the opener. She allowed just three hits, struck out two and did not give up a walk. Holden then followed that performance with 12 strikeouts, just one short of tying her career high. She gave up just two hits and walked only one.
“Both of them have been throwing well this year along with the rest of our staff,” said CBU head coach Mike Smith. “We wanted to change some things up in the second half of the conference season. Azusa saw Tory and Melanie (Ahumada) the first time around so we switched it up with Emma. I just feel like we might have four aces on the staff. I don't want to say our staff is light's out, but they throw the ball so well.”
The Lancers jumped on the board first in the bottom of the second when Kendall Gorham hit a bomb to straight-away center to give CBU a 1-0 lead. It was her fifth home run of the year.
CBU added two more in the bottom of the fourth with both runs coming with two outs. Briana Corral started the rally when she hit a ball through the legs of the Cougars' Erika Marmolejo to score Meagan Silva and then Ashley Boyd drove home Gorham with a single to deep short.
Nina Cabrales gave the Lancers a 5-0 lead in the fifth when she ripped a bases-loaded single through the left side to score Ashley Lacombe and Nicole Shoemaker. Sarah Strong reached when she was hit by a pitch and Lacombe came on to run at first. Shoemaker pushed Lacombe over to second with a single before Silva walked to load the bases and set the stage for Cabrales.
Cabrales was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs while Gorham was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored in the first game.
The Lancers struck first again in the nightcap with three runs in the second inning. Strong drew a lead off walk and Silva singled before Cabrales laced a triple to the left center field gap to score both. Cabrales scored the final run of the inning on a Boyd single to center.
Boyd's single extended her hitting streak to 15 straight games, just one short Nikki Lowe's season high streak of 16 games.
The Lancers extended their lead to 4-0 in the fifth when Silva blooped a single down the left field line to score Shoemaker from second.
Cabrales again led the way again for CBU driving in a pair of runs while going 1-for-3 with a run scored. Silva went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while Boyd drove in the only other run for the Lancers.
“Nina had a contact issue and just got some new contacts so who knows how much of an issue that played,” said Smith. “Nina is starting to swing the bat much better now though since getting the new ones. Meagan didn't earn a starting spot at the beginning of the year, but has worked really hard and has become a great hitter for us. She's getting on base and making things happen.”
The Lancers now get set for Saturday GSAC doubleheader with Biola. It will be StrikeOut Cancer day at John C. Funk Stadium as all proceeds from ticket and shirt sales will go towards cancer research.
