LA VERNE, Calif. - Pacific Lutheran picked up its first victory
of the young 2010 softball season on Sunday when it split a a
doubleheader with the University of La Verne Leopards.
Both games ended up 3-2 with the Lutes (1-2) taking the opener
in eight innings and La Verne scoring the winning run in the bottom
of the seventh inning of the second game.
While the Lutes managed only five hits in the first game, Stacey
Hagensen delivered the key blow with a two-run homer in the top of
the eighth inning. With one out in the inning, Caitlin Brown
drew a walk to set the stage for Hagensen, who drilled her second
homer of the day.
PLU escaped trouble in the bottom of the eighth when La Verne
loaded the bases on three straight singles with no outs. Jackie
Martinez relieved Ramona Lorton in the circle and got a
strikeout and ground out on the next two batters. After a
run-scoring single, the La Verne rally ended on a force play at
third base.
Lorton allowed two earned runs on five hits while walking
five and striking out two. Martinez picked up her first save of the
season.
Hagensen drove in all three PLU runs, plating Amber Roberts in
the first with a ground out.
Hagensen turned out to be the hard-luck loser in the second game
as the winning run was unearned. The Leopards put a runner on
first base and a pair of errors accounted for the winning tally.
Hagensen allowed three runs, two earned on five hits in 6 1/3
innings of work. She walked one batter and struck out five.
Roberts had a pair of hits to lead PLU's seven-hit
offense. Hagensen drilled a two-out solo homer in the
fourth inning, and Roberts drove in the second run with a single in
the fifth. Lauren Watson led off with a single and Brittney
Weissenbuehler entered the game as a pinch runner. With two
outs, Monti Califano and Roberts hit consecutive singles to drive
in the run.
The Lutes struggled on defense, committing a total of seven
errors in the two games.
PLU concludes its California road trip on Monday with a
doubleheader against Chapman starting at 2 p.m.
- PLU -
