April 24, 2005
Box Score
Story courtesy of Loyola Marymount Media Relations
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Nine LMU seniors played their final home game this afternoon, and they put on a show for the home crowd, sweeping the four game series with San Diego. Benefiting from home runs by seniors Danielle Kaminaka and Caylin Hornish, the Lions won game one, 4-3. All nine seniors started and played the entire game two, and went out with a 7-0 win. Jessica Grassi and Emily Foltz each hit homers, and Foltz finished the game by pitching a scoreless seventh inning. The Lions remain in first place in the PCSC, and look to clinch a conference championship and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament berth when they conclude the regular season at Sacramento State next weekend.
The Lions improve to 32-16 overall and 14-2 in the PCSC, while San Diego falls to 17-21 overall and 7-9 in PCSC action.
Game one remained scoreless until the fourth inning. Margo Pineda led off the inning by running out an infield single. Hornish's walk put runners at first and second, and Brittany Bassett loaded the bases after she was hit by a pitch. Foltz drilled a shot to left field, scoring two runs to give the Lions the lead.
Kaminaka and Hornish hit back to back solo home runs in the top of the sixth inning to give the Lions a 4-0 lead, and they would end up needing all four runs. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Danielle Treiber doubled to left field, and Alicia Massei followed with an RBI single up the middle.
Down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Toreros did not give up. With two outs, Kathleen Bonja singled to right field. Sara Mason's home run to right field made it a 4-3 game, but Kim Delpit popped up to end the USD threat and the game.
The Toreros outhit LMU 12-5 in game one, but stranded nine runners on base. Kayla Meeks improved to 13-4 on the season, allowing three runs on 12 hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Darcie McClelland took the loss for USD, allowing four runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout. Treiber and Gina McFarland each finished with three hits for USD, and Mason had two RBI. Foltz had two RBI for LMU.
LMU honored its nine seniors in a ceremony before game two, and started all nine in the home finale. All nine seniors contributed to the 7-0 win. Megan Julian led off the second inning by getting hit with a pitch. Lauren Hiramoto used her speed to get an infield hit, and Lisa Abbott was hit by another pitch to load the bases. Kaminaka drew a walk to bring home the first LMU run of the day.
Foltz led off the third inning with a solo home run to left field to give LMU a 2-0 lead. The game remained at 2-0 until the top of the sixth when the Lions broke the game open with a four-run inning. After Julian reached base on a fielding error by Bonja, Grassi followed with her second home run of the season- a blast to center field that put the Lions up 4-0. After a pitching change, Hiramoto reached base on a bunt single, and the Lions took advantage of another USD error to put runners at first and third. After Abbott moved to second on a ground out, Kaminaka drove home two more runs on a double to left field.
Hiramoto drove home LMU's seventh run of the game in the seventh inning, scoring Grassi who hit a double to left field. Ahead 7-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Foltz moved from first base into the pitching circle and threw her first career inning as a Lion. After Massei led off with a hit to left field, Foltz got three straight outs to end the game.
Tiffany Pagano (13-6), the only non-senior starter, did not allow a run in 6.0 innings of work. She struck out five, allowed four hits, and walked three. Christina Haake took the loss for USD, allowing just one run on one hit with three walks in 1.1 innings of work.
The Toreros conclude their season with a four-game series at Santa Clara next weekend.
