SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Roadrunner softball team exited the WAC Softball Tournament with a 2-1 loss to the host Seattle U Redhawks. Kelsie Monroe (Jr., Los Banos, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College) and Lyndsay Klimenko (Fr., Half Moon Bay, Calif., Half Moon Bay HS) each pitched three solid innings for the 'Runners but the offense could not overcome Seattle U's Richelle Ashburn.

Bakersfield scored a wild run in the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead. After Jessica Castaneda (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Ridgeview HS) doubled to lead off, her pinch-runner, Amber Mills (So., Fresno, Calif., Clovis West HS), was going to be tagged out by the catcher at home. Mills managed to do some fancy dancing and evaded the tag to give the 'Runners a 1-0 lead.

Lisa Maulden tied the score with a monster home run over the right field wall in the bottom half of the second inning. Bubba Morrow duplicated her teammate's results in the next inning to give the Redhawks a 2-1 lead after the third inning.

Sydney Raeber (So., Hanford, Calif., Hanford HS) opened the second game with singles in each of her first two at bats, giving the centerfielder five straight plate appearances in which she reached base safely to start the WAC Tournament. After a 23-minute rain delay, the 'Runners managed to get Karsyn Guzman (Fr., Hanford, Calif., Hanford HS) to third with two outs, but a diving play by Sarah Petosa saved the tying run from coming home. Amy Ricciardi (Sr., Chino Hills, Calif., Ayala HS) walked to lead off the top of the seventh, giving the 'Runners a chance to tie the game, but Bakersfield fell to the host team.

“[This game] was kind of like the season in a nutshell,” said Bakersfield's Head Coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler as the team dropped its 17th game by two runs or less. “I was proud of the team. They did a good job and came out to play.”

The 'Runners finished the season with a 15-40-1 record (4-11 WAC) in their first season in the Western Athletic Conference. Raeber reached base safely in five out of six of her plate appearences (two walks, three singles) in the WAC Tournament. Monroe pitched 5.2 innings in the tournament, giving up a total of eight hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts. Klimenko pitched 6.1 innings with four earned runs and two strikeouts for the 'Runners.

“I'm extremely excited, especially for Lyndsay Klimenko, how she came in and pitched the last two days and finished off the season,” said Buck-Ziegler. “I think this is a good catalyst for next season.”

~www.GoRunners.com~