SARATOGA, Calif. - The CSUB softball team used the long ball to
full affect Saturday afternoon, belting four home runs en route to its
first-ever Pacific Coast Softball victories in a sweep of Santa Clara at West
Valley College. CSUB took game one, 4-1, and game two 7-3, hitting two homers
in each win.
In
the circle, sophomore pitcher Sammy Rodriguez (Salinas HS) fanned a career-high nine batters and did not allow
an earned run. At the plate she gave herself all the support she would need by
slugging her first home run of the season-a two-run shot-to open the scoring in
the second inning of game one.
"Sammy
really crushed her home run," said CSUB Assistant Coach Kristi Lansford. "She's
starting to get more comfortable at the plate now that she is hitting regularly
again."
Junior
first baseman Ryane Petersen
(Fresno/Fresno State) homered in both games. She now has nine for the
season, though she still lost ground to Loyola Marymount shortstop Sam Fischer,
who hit three today as LMU was swept by Saint Mary's College.
It
was feast or famine for Rodriguez in the circle. She allowed only four hits but
walked five. She pitched around trouble masterfully until the sixth inning,
when a two-out error conceded the Broncos their only run of the game.
Santa
Clara went long to grab an early lead in the second game. Solo shots by Briana
Knight and Megan Smith staked the Broncos to a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
But senior second baseman Kristen Archuleta (Hollister/San Benito HS) answered right back with a two-run shot
in the third inning to tie the game.
Petersen's
three-run homer capped a two-out, five-run rally in the fourth inning to put
the Roadrunners in control. From there, senior pitcher Shawna Truan (McArthur/Fall River HS) took over, ending the game
with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless pitching to earn her fifth win of the season.
Senior
third baseman Kelli Bailey (Rodeo/John
Swett HS) had three hits in game one and finished the day 4-for-6 with
three runs to pace the CSUB offense. Senior shortstop Heather Veitch (Simi Valley/Royal HS) went 3-for-4 in the first
game while Petersen led the way with five RBIs in the doubleheader.
The
Roadrunners and Broncos will conclude their four-game series with a
doubleheader Sunday at West Valley College.
