California Baptist University
BYU-Hawaii
Swept Close
4/19/2012 4:34:00 AM | Softball
The Lancers won 6-1 and 9-4 in the sweep, with Emma Holden taking a pair of wins on the night.
CBU moves to 38-6 overall, 21-4 PacWest, staying a half-game ahead of Dixie State in the conference standings. The Seasiders fall to 11-20, 6-19.
"We told the girls that it's never going to be easy and that any team in this conference can beat you on any night," said CBU Head Coach Bill Baber, whose team had won by a combined score of 27-2 against the Seasiders the night before. "We came away with two wins and that's what matters. Sometimes it's hard to come back and play a team after having a night like yesterday, but we hung in there and got the wins."
Holden, who was coming off a no-hitter the night before, pitched yet another brilliant game in the opener, going seven innings and giving up one run to get the victory. Holden struck out 14 batters in the game to run her three game strikeout total to 42.
Holden came back in to replace starter Tory Ferreira in the nightcap, after BYUH pulled within one run at 5-4 in the fourth inning. She entered the game with the bases loaded and proceeded to induce a popout and then struck out Brooke Perriton to end the threat. The Seasiders would not score another run.
Holden tossed 3 2-3 more innings in the late game to pick up the win and move to 19-4 on the season. The senior ace struck out eight batters in that time to move her season total to 230. In Holden's last 21 2-3 innings pitched she has averaged 2.31 strikeouts per frame.
"She just dominated that first game and then came in with the bases loaded and showed no fear in getting out of that jam," said Baber. "I know Tory will be back and be fine, too, she always is. That's why we have two great pitchers like them, so they can pick each other up. Emma was on today and really helped us get these victories."
The Lancers put a trio of two-spots up on the board in the opener, scoring in the second, fourth and sixth innings.
Kailey Willingham was 2 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored, hitting her fifth home run of the season, in the game. She and April Vasquez opened the game with RBI doubles in the second.
In the nightcap the Lancers scored five runs on five hits and one error in the fourth, before BYUH made its comeback. Vasquez opened the inning with a homer to center field.
After Holden came in and once again quieted the Seasider offense, the Lancers scored three in the sixth on a double by Kendall Gorham and a two-run shot by Tina Galinato.
BYUH managed two hits and no runs the rest of the way.
A night after hitting for the cycle against the Seasiders, Mara Rodriguez was 4 for 5 in the game, driving in two runs and scoring three more. She hit her ninth home run of the season in the seventh inning.
"The key from here on out down the home stretch is focus," said Baber. "It's tough to win four in a row against anybody as we saw tonight, but I know we have the team to do it."
The Lancers travel to San Francisco this weekend for a four-game set with Academy of Art before playing a makeup game against Dominican.
