BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Bakersfield softball team is set to compete in the University of the Pacific Libby Matson Tournament in Stockton this weekend.
The 'Runners (2-13) will play twice on Friday, first against No. 2/7 Washington (13-2) at 1:15 p.m. and then against the host Pacific (3-8) at 5:45 p.m. to end the first day. Saturday will be another two-game day for Bakersfield as the squad takes on San José State (10-5) at 2:30 p.m. and UTEP (6-9) at 7:00 p.m. The last day of play will be a rematch against Pacific at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday.
Washington enters the weekend ranked in the top 10 of either major poll for softball rankings, but the team finished last week with their first two losses of the season. The Huskies' third baseman Kylee Lahners hit .455 on the weekend while her teammate and the team's leadoff hitter, Victoria Hayward, went 6-15 (.400) and had 3 RBI. The 'Runners last met Washington in 2012 and trail the Huskies in the all-times series 0-4.
Pacific will host the tourney and meet Bakersfield for the ninth and tenth time in program history. The Tigers own a 7-1 series lead over the 'Runners but come into the Libby Matson Tournament having lost five out of their last six games. Taylor Petty has led the way for the Tigers at the plate, batting .567 on the season. Her performance last weekend earned Petty WCC Player of the Week honors.
Bakersfield has only played UTEP once in the program's history with the lone meeting taking place in 2008. The Miners bested the Roadrunners 4-0. UTEP has seven players coming into the weekend batting over .300 and lean heavily on starting pitcher Danielle Pearson who has a 4.33 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched this season.
San José State finished the Bank of Hawaii Invitational last weekend with three wins. Pitcher Allison Lang picked up a win and a save while pitching nine innings and giving up only one run. Jessica Garcia also played a big role with her bat as the senior hit three home runs, including two grand slams, in Hawaii. The Spartans own a slim lead in the all time series against the 'Runners, 11-9, while the teams have not met since 2012.
Junior pitcher Kelsie Monroe (Los Banos, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College) was a workhorse in last weekend's tournament at UC Riverside. Monroe pitched 19.0 innings over the four games while giving up a total of only three earned run in three of those outings.
The 'Runners also leaned on the bat of Karissa Veiga (Sr., Hemet, Calif., Hemet HS) who went 5-17 while adding five RBI. Jessica Castaneda (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Ridgeview HS) contirbuted at the plate by batting .556, slugging 1.222, and plating four RBI thanks in part to a home run.
~www.GoRunners.com~
