California Baptist University
Cal State San Marcos
SHOE SPARKS SPLIT
4/22/2009 1:45:00 AM | Softball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ? Nicole Shoemaker hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam for California Baptist University in the second game of a doubleheader split with No. 25 Cal State San Marcos.
The top-ranked Lancers (48-4) dropped a 3-2 decision in eight innings in the opener before unloading in the nightcap with a 9-2 win.
In the opener, Alyssa Dronenburg gave Cal State San Marcos a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to right center. The Cougars added another in the fifth on a single by Ashley Estepa that scored Alicia Ingram to make it 2-0.
CBU trailed 2-0 until the sixth when Sarah Hurlbut and Sarah Strong both singled in back-to-back at bats to put runners at first and third. Shoemaker then laid down a sacrifice squeeze to score Hurlbut from third, but CBU still left two stranded to end the sixth. Then in the seventh, Caty Reeves led off with a double to left before Ashley Boyd singled up the middle to score Melanie Ahumada, who came on to run for Reeves, to make it 2-2 but again the Lancers left two more on the base paths.
Then in the eighth, Dronenburg pushed over Estepa, who started the inning on third, with a sac bunt and Erica Coelho lifted a ball to right field. Kendall Gorham made the catch and fired a bullet at the plate, but Estepa was able to avoid the tag and touch the plate to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead.
Shoemaker started on second to start the bottom of the eighth for CBU and was pushed over to third on the sac bunt by Meagan Silva. Nina Cabrales tried to bring home Shoemaker with a bunt, but the Cougars fielded the ball for the second out and got Gorham to fly out to center to end the game.
Hurlbut, Strong and Silva all went 2-for-3, but Hurlbut was the only one to score a run. Boyd and Shoemaker were the only ones to drive in runs.
Brenna Sandberg (11-5) picked up the win after throwing the final three innings of play. She allowed just one run on two hits. Emma Holden (11-2) took the loss, throwing three innings and allowing just one run on one hit. She also struck out four of the 11 batters she faced.
The Cougars struck first again in the nightcap scoring one in the top of the second. Lauren Nelson reached second on an error by Corral before Elizabeth Bush singled up the middle with two outs to score Nelson.
CBU answered in the bottom of the third when Briana Corral came around to score on an error by Alicia Vincencio. Hurlbut lifted a ball to deep short and Vincencio misplayed the ball, allowing Corral to score from second.
Dronenburg didn't waste much time in the top of the fourth drilling her second home run of the day to put San Marcos up 2-1, but the Lancers answered right back when Shoemaker roped a lead off home run to center to knot it at 2-2. The Lancers took their first lead of the day in the fifth when Hurlbut drew a bases loaded walk to put CBU up 3-2. Shoemaker then blew the game wide open with a one-out grand slam to right center to give the Lancers a 7-2 lead.
Hurlbut put the final touches on the nightcap when she hit a two-run shot to left to make it 9-2 in the sixth.
Melanie Ahumada (14-2) allowed just two runs, one earned, on two hits and struck out four in six innings of work. Gorham threw the final inning, retiring the side in order.
The Lancers close out the regular season Saturday when it hosts Vanguard for a noon doubleheader.
